Dragon Queen Rises
by Divine Valor
Summary: 400 years ago, Acnologia crowned himself the Dragon King. 400 years later, a young Treasure Hunter set his sights on a bracelet that dated back to antiquity. Little did he know how much his future would change when he rescued a girl from the power-hungry clutches of Saber Tooth. Now he must defend the mysterious girl who holds the key to awaken the Dragon Queen.
1. Enter Saber Tooth

**Hey, guys! It's been almost a year, but Divine Valor is back!**

 **Following my last words, I decided to rewrite Tiamat (but I also decided to keep the original story up for those of you who enjoyed it). I realize now that the original was rushed and before I knew it, it was too late to clean up the mess.**

 **This rewrite, Dragon Queen Rises, will follow a very different path than the original, Tiamat. Some elements will stay the same, but many events will deviate from the original storyline.**

 **And now, on with the story in 3...2...1...Action!**

* * *

 _Since ancient times, Dragons have lived as rulers of the land. Dragons roamed the sky without opposition and scavenged the earth freely. There was no creature that could hope to oppose these fearsome beasts. Even human kings were regarded as mere prey._

 _However, like the humans, Dragons revered only one among their own, for it was through that Dragon that their kind was born. Since ancient times, Dragons have conveyed the Dragon Mother Tiamat's will upon the land. When the Dragon Mother passed on from this world, her spirit was sealed and her subjects awaited the day of her rebirth._

 _However, with no ruler to lead them, the Dragons began to quarrel. One Dragon wished to abandon the ancient traditions and live in harmony with the humans. There were many that opposed this Dragon, but there were others who wished the same. Without the Dragon Mother to quell these beasts, the two factions declared war on each other._

 _The war ravaged countless countries and razed kingdoms to the ground. There was no end to the destruction that took countless lives, both Dragon and human._

 _This war became known as the Dragon King Festival, for one Dragon rose above all others and crowned himself the Dragon King._

* * *

 **Saber Tooth**

Something must have happened within Fiore's number one guild. It wasn't everyday that wizards of Saber Tooth ran to the request board and tried to push each other out of the way for jobs.

"Really? A share of the treasure as the reward?"

"Read the flyer if you don't believe me, skeptic!"

"Move over, newbies!" A loud voice called from the back. "Let your superiors through!" Immediately, the group of wizards surrounding the request board parted for the Twin Dragon Slayers and their Exceed. Sting rushed over to the board and grabbed the flyer that caused such a ruckus.

 **Help with Further Excavation**

The Archaeological Society has recently discovered an ancient temple that contains relics over centuries old. While the Society attempted to excavate the basement floor of the temple, several traps prevented further exploration of the premises. The Archaeological Society has reason to believe that an even greater treasure lies in store below the surface.

The nature of the traps, however, requires additional help from wizard guilds. 4,000,000 Jewels will be given to the wizards who succeed in helping the Society explore the basement of the temple, along with a treasure of their choosing.

"Take a look at this, Rogue," Sting said as he handed the flyer back to his partner. Rogue took the flyer and read it over, eyebrows rising at the reward amount.

"The reward is pretty high for an excavation job," Rogue noticed.

"Fro thinks so, too."

"Of course it's so high." Lector lightly hit his clenched paw against the head of Frosch's costume. "There's a bunch of booby traps to keep them from going any further, so they have to get help to disarm the traps. Right, Sting-kun?"

"Exactly," Sting agreed, rubbing his hands together. "But the guys who sent out this request are idiots, all of them! Do they even know how much the treasures in there are worth?"

"One thousand?" Frosch guessed.

"No way, Frosch!" Lector disagreed, hitting his paw against Frosch's head against. "They're obviously worth at least a million Jewels!"

"More than that, Lector. Everything in that temple is worth more than the reward, and they're allowing us to take one treasure!"

"But the flyer says that the nature of the traps is keeping the Society from going any further," Rogue pointed out as he held the flyer up for his team. "Even though the team of archaeologists on the site can use magic, if they sent out a request for help, then the traps aren't the type to be taken lightly."

"So that means we need another wizard to come with us," Sting said as he tried to fathom the kinds of traps that they might encounter. His idea of traps usually included ropes that dangled people upside down; a deep pit to contain intruders; and nets to hold people above the ground. While a part of him wished that the traps wouldn't be complicated, another part told him that the ancients wouldn't have designed their traps so simple. "Someone like—" Sting looked around the guild, searching for a certain wizard until he found him sitting at a table, reading a book. "Rufus!"

"Rufus?" Rogue repeated while Sting ran over to the masked wizard. It didn't surprise him that Sting would want to bring the Memory-Make wizard along for the job. Rufus' vast knowledge of magic was nothing to scoff at and his magical talent would probably help them disarm many of the traps. "He might help, but would he want to come?"

Sting reached the table where Rufus sat, though the Memory-Make wizard was too engrossed in his book to realize that Sting was there. Annoyed, Sting snapped his fingers next to Rufus' ear. "Hey, is anyone in there?"

"Hm?" Rufus looked up from his book, which he closed shut. "Is there something that you need?" he asked, setting aside _Dragon Historia_.

"Yeah," the White Dragon Slayer said, withdrawing his hand. "I need you to drop any plans you have tomorrow to come with us."

"Oh?" Rufus raised one questioning eyebrow, curious as to what could make the self-proclaimed "Great Sting Eucliffe" to request for him. "May I ask what you have in mind?"

Sting looked back and gestured for Rogue to come over with the flyer, which he promptly took when Rogue obliged. "This." The White Dragon Slayer waved the flyer in front of Rufus' face until the masked wizard took it from him for a proper examination. Dark green eyes skimmed over the details before they widened at the amount for the reward.

"There must be some kind of mistake," Rufus murmured as he set the flyer down do that he could rub his eyes. "Why would they offer to give us a priceless treasure that should be preserved in a museum?"

"Because they're idiots," Sting answered immediately.

"Desperate idiots," Lector added.

"Fro thinks so, too."

"So are you in?"

 **Author's note:**

 **And that, ladies and gentlemen, was the first chapter of Dragon Queen Rises, the rewrite for Tiamat.**

 **So...like it? Hate it? Leave your opinion and let me know how it was!**

 **Divine Valor**


	2. The Treasure Hunter

**Divine Valor here with the second chapter of Dragon Queen Rises!**

 **While I was happy that this story was read, I was a little sad that it didn't get as many hits as I expected. Oh, well!**

* * *

 **Margaret Town**

As the sun set, many of the shops in the marketplace began to close. Some merchants took their wares back in happily while others grumbled bitterly at the lack of customers. Meanwhile, the citizens of Margaret Town retreated to their homes, waiting for the sun to rise again.

A dark-skinned teenager with blond hair walked along the cobblestone road with a black dog at his heels. Dressed in a dark green blazer and a purple vest over a dress shirt, the fashionable teen was very difficult to ignore. But many people in Margaret Town learned to turn a blind eye to the unusual. After all, the town housed the second strongest guild Lamia Scale, which hosted wizards even more oddly dressed than the boy.

The teen gripped the newspaper in his hand and turned the corner, nearly at his destination: a tall building built in stone. He opened the door, shutting it after his canine companion entered before he approached the stairs. Up they went, passing by sounds of various Lacrima Vision and even the occasional couple's quarrel until they finally reached the door they wanted. The boy pushed a key into the keyhole before he turned the knob, allowing both the dog and his master to enter the apartment.

On the surface, the interior of the apartment was ordinary: a kitchen stocked with all essentials for the inhabitants to eat; a small dining area set with a table and two chairs; a bed positioned by the window; and three bookshelves that took up an entire wall of the apartment.

The teen approached the bookshelves, fingers skimming across countless spines with gold lettering until they stopped on one without letters. The teen touched the top of the spine and pulled the book out partially before he set it back. Seconds passed, causing the boy to tilt his head in confusion. _It should have reacted by now_ , he thought.

"Maybe I should oil the gears?" The dark-skinned teen wondered as he stepped back to examine the bookshelves. Slowly, the mechanism behind the bookshelves activated with a small groan. The shelf on the left slid back into the space between itself and the wall, allowing the middle shelf to slide to the left and reveal a hidden passage.

The dog trotted into the hidden room first, followed by his master. The teen stopped in the center of the room, closing his eyes as he took in the scent of his secret sanctuary. A sly smile crept onto the boy's face before he brought his free hand up to snap his fingers loudly.

Unlike the slow response of the mechanism that controlled the shelves, the room answered immediately. All around the boy and his dog, lights turned on and illuminated the room. Various tables held countless artifacts of antiquity; flags of fallen kingdoms and empires adorned the walls; and a lone statue of a deity stood along a wall opposite of the duo.

"It's been two years since we began to search for the pieces to add to our Dragon King Collection," the teen said as he moved toward a table laden with treasures with designs that seemed to be centered around Dragons. "And tonight, we finally have a lead on the last piece!"

The black dog barked in agreement, his tail wagging in excitement. "The Archaeological Society needs help in their excavation and they're offering a share of the Treasure to anyone who can help them," the teen explained as he knelt down and held up the newspaper.

 **Help with Further Excavation**

The Archaeological Society has recently discovered an ancient temple that contains relics over centuries old. While the Society attempted to excavate the basement floor of the temple, several traps prevented further exploration of the premises. The Archaeological Society has reason to believe that an even greater treasure lies in store below the surface.

The nature of the traps, however, requires additional help from wizard guilds. 4,000,000 Jewels will be given to the wizards who succeed in helping the Society explore the basement of the temple, along with a treasure of their choosing.

"And one of the Treasures—" The teen tapped a finger against a picture of one of the relics discovered: a bracelet that resembled a winged serpentine Dragon curled in a circle. "—happens to be the Treasure that will complete our collection." The dark-skinned teen lowered the newspaper to meet his dog's eyes. "If I get a hold of that bracelet, I'll finally be promoted to an S-Class Treasure Hunter."

The obsidian dog whimpered as if worried about something. The young man seemed to pick up on his tone and patted his companion's head. "Now, now, Anubis. Have I ever steered you wrong before?"

Anubis the dog barked sharply, to which the teen responded, "All right, so you _almost_ lost your tail, but that was one time!" he admitted, remembering how he and Anubis nearly lost their heads and Anubis' tail for a golden crown. _The Treasure wasn't worth the effort_ , the teen thought. He couldn't forget how Anubis refused to come anywhere near him for weeks.

"But are you in, Anu?" The teen asked, scratching behind his companion's ears. "You know I can't do this without you." He knew there was a chance that Anubis would refuse the request and he could hardly blame the dog. After all, what dog would follow a master that nearly got them both killed in an almost botched hunt for Treasure? Even so, the teen couldn't help but hope.

Finally, Anubis let out an energetic bark, which made the young man smile and hold his hand up for a high five. The obsidian dog lifted his paw and touched it against his master's, affirming his commitment.

"That settles it, then." The young man returned to his feet and adjusted his blazer. "Our next target: the Bracelet of Tiamat!"


	3. The Adventure Begins

**X791, January 25, 9:32 AM**

 **Saber Tooth**

Rufus didn't know whether or not he wanted to shrug in defeat or if he wanted to rip the Twin Dragons a new one when they arrived. "The ones who requested that I come along," he murmured as he rubbed his forehead, "can't even arrive on time?"

The blond wizard of Saber Tooth waited at the train station alone, wondering where his colleagues were and why they were taking so long. For a job with this kind of reward, one would think that the Twin Dragons would be punctual enough to arrive at the train station at the specified time. But here was Rufus, who waited at the station for thirty minutes while the Twin Dragons took their sweet time.

 _Those buffoons are lucky the train doesn't arrive until ten_ , Rufus thought as he closed his eyes, willing the memory of the flyer back to mind so as to peruse it again.

Rufus mentally read the flyer once more to make sure that he hadn't misread the request yesterday. Surely, the Society must have made an error: why would they offer a priceless relic as part of the reward? But as the flyer said, ' _The nature of the traps, however, requires additional help from wizard guilds._ ' Whatever traps lay in store for them, they surely weren't the kind to take lightly.

"Yo, Rufus!" Sting's voice called to the masked wizard.

"Rufus-kun!"

 _At last, they're here_ , Rufus thought, turning in the direction of the Twin Dragons and their Exceed. The Memory-Make wizard crossed his arms and mustered up a look of disapproval. "I hope you have a good explanation as to why you're late."

* * *

 **On the Train**

Rufus held his forehead in his hand, trying to keep himself from sighing in disbelief. He should have suspected that this was the reason why the Twin Dragons were so late: what Dragon Slayer _wouldn't_ attempt to escape a Dragon Slayer's worst nightmare?

 _The Twin Dragons of Saber Tooth have been reduced to... **this**_ , the Memory-Make wizard mused.

In the seat opposite of him, Sting held a hand to his mouth in an attempt to keep his breakfast in. Thankfully the window was open in case the White Dragon Slayer failed. Rogue, on the other hand, brought a sleeping pill, which the Shadow Dragon Slayer immediately popped into his mouth before he fell asleep when the train began to pull out of the station.

 _At least_ one _of the Twin Dragons has a functional brain_ , Rufus thought as he tried to focus on something other than Sting's failed endeavor to refrain from vomiting. Nothing could be more disgusting than the sight of flying vomit. Of course, nothing could be more surprising than the occasional snore that escaped from Rogue.

The train began to slow as a conductor announced their arrival at one of the stops along the way. Sting pulled his head back in, gratefully accepting a napkin from Lector so he could wipe his mouth. "Are we there already?" he asked hopefully.

"No," Rufus said, smirking inwardly at Sting's horrified expression. "We just made a stop in Margaret Town to pick up any passengers."

"Margaret Town?" Sting repeated questioningly. "Isn't this where Lamia Scale lives?"

"Yes," the masked wizard replied, "but we're not here to pick a fight with them. They're beneath us."

* * *

 **Margaret Town**

The dark-skinned teen dressed himself hurriedly into his usual green blazer and dark pants while he combed his blond hair down. He examined his reflection before he nodded in approval and ran to the dining table, where he grabbed a side pouch that he clipped around his hip. "Hurry, Anubis!" He called to his companion. "We're going to be late!"

The obsidian dog trotted out of the kitchen with a dried piece of chicken in his mouth. Anubis let out a low growl, obviously displeased by his master's behavior.

"Well, someone hadn't whacked the alarm of the nightstand—"

Anubis barked to cut off his master. "Okay, maybe I _did_ knock it to the floor," the Treasure Hunter admitted.

After he finished his after-breakfast snack, Anubis stood on his hind legs and rested his paws on the kitchen table. The black canine grabbed a small envelope with his teeth and removed his paws from the table, allowing him to sit on the ground and offer his master the envelope.

"Thanks, buddy," the teen said, patting Anubis' head after he accepted the envelope. "Now let's book it!"

The dog and his master raced out the door of their apartment, stopping just to lock up to keep thieves out. There were too many priceless items in his apartment that many would want to get their hands on.

Anubis trotted down the stairs while the Treasure Hunter slid along the railing, though he had to dismount occasionally at certain corners. Once the duo's feet touched the ground floor, they dashed out of the complex and out onto the street. By now, the town had already bustled to life, the street crowded with citizens and the occasional wizard from Lamia Scale.

The obsidian dog barked, which caused the teen to look at a clock nearby. Ten twenty-five: whether they walked or ran to the station, they wouldn't make it. A situation like this meant that they had only one option left.

"Anubis." The teen looked down at his dog, who barked as if in agreement with the scheme he had. "You know what to do."

The obsidian dog barked twice while his master looped a finger under the dog's collar. Slowly, their bodies sunk into their combined shadows, which sped off in the direction of the train station.

Coming out of his own apartment, Yuka looked down in time to see a shadow without an owner rush past his feet. The Wave only shook his head in response. "There goes the Treasure Hunter," he said, recognizing the odd shadow anywhere. After two years of watching the spectacle, the sight failed to surprise him now. The denizens of Margaret Town, however, always screamed in fright whenever the shadow crawled below their feet.

* * *

The conductor took out his watch and checked the time. Ten twenty-nine: it was almost time for the train to leave. "The train will now depart!" he called out, warning any stragglers to hurry onto the train. A handful of people hurried over to the train and handed their tickets to the conductor, who ushered them into the locomotive.

Ten-thirty: time to leave. The train slowly roared to life, serving as Sting's cue to hold down the bile that threatened to escape from his mouth.

At that moment, the shadow from before sped onto the platform before the dark-skinned teen and his dog ran to reach the train before it picked up its speed. The duo reached the edge of the platform and jumped before the last car could pull out of the station. Anubis melted into the shadows and reemerged on the car's terrace at the same time the teen secured a hold on the railing and hurled himself onto the terrace.

"Phew!" The teen looked at Anubis, who barked before he turned to look at the scenery that the train passed. "We made it!" The Treasure Hunter turned to watch the passing sights as well, his hair escaping the small ponytail he put it into while his eyes displayed an adventurous glint that anticipated the Treasure that lay in store for them.

"I've been waiting for this day," the teen said to himself as a sly smile lined his mouth. "The legendary Bracelet of Tiamat will finally be ours, Anubis."


	4. To the Temple

**X791, January 25**

When the teenager and Anubis entered the train only to run into the conductor, he was obviously not impressed by the duo's impromptu entrance. The conductor had half a mind to apprehend them and throw them off the train as stowaways. As annoyed as he was, he couldn't send them away when they had tickets to keep them on. After accepting their tickets reluctantly, the conductor allowed them into the train.

"He could at least congratulate us for making it in the first place," the dark-skinned teen noted as the conductor marched away, grumbling about "the wild behavior of teenagers these days" with a roll of his eyes.

Anubis barked twice, though the teen was unsure as to whether the dog meant it as an agreement or as a reprimand. The teen merely shrugged his shoulders as he searched for an empty seat by the window to share with Anubis. Several passengers stared openly at the obsidian canine that accompanied the snappily dressed teen.

"Aha!" At last, the teen found two empty sets of seats, perfect for the duo to face each other for the duration of the ride. "Anubis, I got us some se—" The young man turned to look at his partner, only to find that his companion was nowhere near him. "Anubis?"

* * *

Lector and Frosch stared out the window as the train passed the countryside at a swift pace. At one point, the two Exceed spotted a wagon pulled by two brown horses, causing Lector to yell, "Punch horse brown!" Immediately after this exclamation, the red Exceed bopped the costumed Exceed on the head.

As amused as he was by the antics of the Exceed, Rufus felt as though he had a responsibility to put their game to a halt after he watched Lector hit Frosch's head for the fifth time. Strike that: Rufus was the only one conscious enough to stop the game. Sting couldn't open his mouth without releasing bile while he was at it; and if Rogue was awake and _not_ on a vehicle, he wouldn't have let the game continue after seeing Frosch's tears from the first hit.

Before Rufus could open his mouth to put an end to the Exceed's game, a loud bark caused Rufus and the Exceed to jump in their seats at the sheer volume.

"A dog?" The Memory-Make wizard looked around curiously for the source, wondering how on Earthland a dog of all creatures managed to board the train. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, the source of the sound approached their seats in the form of a pure black dog.

Rufus blinked in surprise, not by the sudden arrival of the dog but by its appearance. Judging by its sleek, groomed fur and golden collar, the dog had an owner. But the dog's long snout and tall pointed ears caught Rufus' attention more than its ownership. "An Anubian Jackal?" he wondered.

The dog barked several times as if confirming Rufus' guess, though many passengers did not enjoy the noise the dog created. But Rufus didn't care for the displeasure of the other passengers: the masked man was trying to figure out who on Earthland could possibly afford this dog. A prospective owner outside of Desierto had to pay more than a citizen of the country had to for this breed.

Anubian Jackals were a breed of canines exclusive to the country of Desierto. What made them so highly prized was not their rarity, but their ability. In Desiertan mythology, Anubian Jackals were believed to be servants of a god of death that gave them the ability to travel through darkness. Originally, it was believed that they jumped out of shadows to guide people to the afterlife.

However, it was later discovered that they loved to scare people out of their wits.

The dog growled at the Exceed, who tried their best to hide under the Shadow Dragon Slayer's cape. It didn't take a genius to assume that the Anubian Jackal saw them as their meal.

"Anubis!" A male voice called, causing the Anubian Jackal to run back to the voice's owner: a teenage boy with tan-colored skin and white-blond hair.

 _He clearly has enough money on his hands_ , Rufus assumed at the sight of the young man's attire while he watched the duo walk over to their seats. That was the only thought he had that could justify how the boy could have afforded the dog.

* * *

 **1:00 PM**

The train couldn't stop directly at the archaeological site, so the wizards of Saber Tooth and the Treasure Hunter duo had no choice but to get off at the town closest to their destination. Sting didn't seem to mind this setback as he jumped off the train happily while Rogue dragged his feet after he was woken up. However, much to the Dragon Slayers' horror, they had to ride in a wagon to make the rest of the journey.

Meanwhile, the teen and his dog decided to have lunch at a food stand before they continued their journey. The owner of the stand they stood by prepared their food for them, trying his best not to listen to the dog's pitiful whines of hunger. "Are you off to that temple site, boy?"

The young man blinked in response the other man's query. "How did you know?" he asked.

The food stand owner only nodded solemnly. "Thought so," he said as he gave the duo their lunches. Anubis ate his cut up steak happily, ignoring the conversation of the humans. "I've seen many people pass through this town on their way to the temple ruins, all wanting a share of the Archaeological Society's discovered relics. The thing is—" The owner rested an elbow on the counter of his stand with his chin nestled in his hand, looking at the teen in the eye with a serious expression. "—not one of them came back," he finished.

The teen's eyebrows rose at this piece of information. "Not even _one_?" he asked incredulously, wondering if the adult was trying to scare him away from his goal. "Isn't it just that they're still down there, trying to disarm the traps?"

The food stand owner shook his head slowly as he turned away from the dark-skinned youth. "It's the curse of the gods for trespassing in their sanctuary," he said gravely while he cleaned his station. "You're better off going back home, kid. Better that you never tried and live than to live and die trying."

 _So the traps aren't as simple as I thought_ , the teen thought as he took a bite of his sandwich. Usually, at this point, many in the young man's shoes would have turned back and ran home. However, he was a Treasure Hunter: the teen had faced traps of all varieties on his quests for Treasures, ranging from rolling boulders to spiked chasms.

The teen smiled slyly as he scarfed down the rest of his sandwich, undaunted by the older man's warning. Anubis seemed to pick up on his master's determination to continue and finished his steak, licking at the plate one last time before he barked to echo the teen's commitment. "So can you tell me what direction the ruins are from here?" The young man asked.

Shaking his head in disbelief and hoping the young man would realize his mistake, the food stand owner pointed a finger to the right, where snow-capped mountains stood proudly in the horizon. "Go north until you reach those mountains. The Archaeological Society's camp will be at the base. From there, you have to start climbing."

The dark-skinned teen raised an eyebrow at the man's directions. "For someone who's against trespassing on holy ground, you seem to know a lot about the site."

"Friends of mine delivered rations and tools to the Society when that temple was discovered two months ago," the stand owner responded, shooting a dark look at the mountains in the background. "Just watch, the lot of them will be cursed if they dare to go deeper."

"Hm..." The teen hummed thoughtfully as he judged the distance between himself and the mountains, ignoring the man's prediction completely. If he and Anubis were to travel by carriage, they would arrive by the time the sun set at six. But if they were to travel by shadow—with breaks in between so that Anubis could recover his strength—they could shave off one hour. He looked at Anubis, who turned his head up to his master. "Ready when you are, Anubis," he said, kneeling down to rest a hand on the golden collar.

Anubis barked once before he melted into the shadows with the teenager. The stand owner rushed to the counter and stared at the spot where they once stood, where a large black shadow shrunk slowly until it disappeared entirely. "What is he?" the stand owner muttered to himself.

* * *

 **3:30 PM**

It seemed that Rogue hadn't anticipated having to make the rest of the trip by carriage. Without another sleeping pill, the Shadow Dragon Slayer was forced to suffer the effects of motion sickness with his fellow Twin Dragon.

 _So much for the more competent Twin Dragon_ , Rufus thought as he unearthed a blanket in the wagon's cargo hold and wrapped himself in it. He may have been a wizard of Saber Tooth, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel the cold temperature inside the vehicle. Winter was a dangerous time for the wizards of Saber Tooth: everyone was expected to weather the freezing cold. To succumb to the frigid season meant expulsion from the guild.

"A-Are w-we th-there yet?" Sting mumbled, trying to keep his teeth from chattering at the same time bile threatened to leave through his mouth.

"No," Rufus said to him without blinking. "As I recall, the driver said that we would arrive at the site by sundown."

"Sun—" Sting immediately covered his mouth as vomit rushed from his stomach. Rogue, on the other hand, tried to find a way to sleep. However, without another sleeping pill, Rogue had no choice but to grab a bucket and hurl his guts into it.

This was going to be a long ride.

* * *

 **4:59 PM**

 **Mountain Base**

The teenager and Anubis emerged from the shadow of a tree near the Archaeological Society's camp. Anubis collapsed on the ground, his head resting on his front paws. Even after making six stops to regain his energy, the Anubian Jackal had little strength left.

"Here, Anubis." The teen bent down and picked up his companion, holding him so that Anubis' head rested on his master's shoulder. "I'll take it from here," the young man said, patting his dog's back. After making Anubis travel a greater distance than he was used to, he owed a lot to his partner.

Boots shuffled through the snow, causing the young man to look up and see who was coming towards them. Four men dressed in thick winter coats surrounded the duo, examining them as they would with an artifact. One of the men even peered at them through a magnifying glass!

Finally, the tallest of the four men gestured for the teen to follow him. "This way, please."

Adjusting Anubis in his arms, the teen followed the four men into a tent, where a map was spread out on a table surrounded by four chairs. The young man's attention landed on another table laden down with several relics, including—

There it was: the Bracelet of Tiamat. Strangely, the bracelet didn't carry the luster he imagined it would have. In fact...it didn't even look like the bracelet that he sought after. The design might have been the same, but the stone material that made up the bracelet told him that he came all this way for nothing.

 _Or maybe not_ , the Treasure Hunter thought with a glance at the other treasures on the table. The prize he wanted might not be here, but he wasn't going to return empty-handed.

"You don't look like a guild wizard, actually," one of the archaeologists said as the Treasure Hunter set Anubis on one of the chairs. "Actually, I don't sense even one Edea of magic from this boy."

 _So these old guys can sense magic_ , the teen thought. He knew from the beginning that they would touch on this topic. The request asked for _wizards_ who could help disarm those traps. As a Treasure Hunter, he relied on his fast thinking and physical capabilities to get past the obstacles in the way of his Treasure. Magic was an ability that he had no need for.

"Then he needs to go back," a short balding archaeologist suggested. "We need wizards to help us."

"What about the wizards who came here before?" the teen challenged, making the archaeologists freeze to the spot where they stood. The young man smirked inwardly, knowing that he had hit a weak spot. He wasn't a wizard, but that didn't mean he couldn't go down without a fight. And these old geezers needed to know that magic didn't grant them permission to look down on those without. "Everyone else who who came when you needed help...did they ever come out alive? Or did you leave them there to rot while you ran to save yourselves?" he taunted with a sinister look in his eyes.

"Now, see here, young man!" The short balding man squeaked angrily, waving what was meant to be a threatening finger at the teen. "The people who came here before were wizards—people who could actually _use_ magic—not little boys looking for adventure!"

"So only if I used _magic_ would I be allowed to set foot in that temple and survive?" The dark-skinned teen asked with a raised eyebrow. "You would think that the wizards who _use_ magic would have lasted long enough to guide you through the basement."

"They're still alive!" Another archaeologist interjected, coming to the aid of his colleague. However, he was stopped by the tallest archaeologist, who seemed to be the leader of the Society.

"The traps in the basement," he said with a grave voice, "are not the kind you can take lightly. Every wizard that came here tried and failed to disarm those mechanisms. You would actually be better off if you left now."

The teen smiled darkly, causing one of the old geezers to back away. "I can't go back empty-handed, not with my pride as a Treasure Hunter on the line," he added. The Archaeological Society seemed to go on the defensive once he said that. One of the old men went over to the table to protect the relics. "I came here for the Bracelet of Tiamat. Trust me when I say that nothing will stop me from getting that relic, not even ancient mechanisms that wizards can't get past."

"The Bracelet—!" Again, the short, balding man was cut off by a wave of the leader's hand.

The leader of the Society turned his attention back to the teen. "We promised a treasure if the task was complete," he admitted, "but we have not yet uncovered the Bracelet of Tiamat. Actually, there's a chance that the bracelet is somewhere in the basement."

"Jean-Luc!" An archaeologist wearing glasses protested. "Surely, you're not going to allow this—this _thief_ to—!"

"As a Treasure Hunter," the archaeologist named Jean-Luc continued, "he must have experience with traps, actually. Am I right?" he added to the teen.

"Yes."

Jean-Luc met the eyes of the teenager, who returned his gaze. "If you can lead us through the basement," he said, "and the Bracelet of Tiamat is there, then it's yours."

"Jean-Luc!" The other three archaeologists cried, shocked that he would allow the Treasure Hunter to assist them.

"But it seems that we never introduced ourselves, actually," Jean-Luc added, remembering that the boy had never given his name. "I am Jean-Luc Neville of the Archaeological Society. And you are?"

The young man gestured to himself with his right hand, triumph flaring in his dark eyes. "The name's Rashid, Treasure Hunter of Sylph Labyrinth!"

 **Author's note:**

 **Punch horse brown** —This was heavily influenced by the car game "Punch buggy". But since they don't really have cars in Earthland, buggy became horse.

 **The idea for the Anubian Jackal actually made its first appearance in my Harry Potter fanfic,** Before the Storm **. Likewise, the Anubian Jackal in that story was also named Anubis.**

 **Also, I had no idea how to portray Jean-Luc Neville accurately. In my opinion, the** Key of the Starry Sky **arc was pointless!**


	5. Hunter and Wizard

**X791, January 25, 5:40 PM**

Rashid's foot lost its purchase on the icy path, almost sending the young man tumbling back down the mountain if he didn't grab a large rock in time.

"Careful," the short, balding archaeologist warned as he poked his cane into the snow to anchor himself. "This path is in an avalanche area."

Rashid simply nodded as he regained his footing and continued up the mountain. If Anubis were with him, they would have gotten to the temple in no time. But the Anubian Jackal depleted nearly all of his energy to bring them here. The obsidian dog deserved the luxury of rest more than Rashid did.

The Archaeological Society sent one of their members to accompany the young Treasure Hunter up to the temple. The others claimed that they were staying behind to watch Anubis and welcome other wizards who wished to test their luck. But years of Treasure Hunting gave Rashid enough intuition to detect an ulterior motive: to make sure the Treasure Hunter didn't renege on his deal.

Rashid couldn't blame them for their overcautious behavior. After all, Treasure Hunters used all means necessary to procure their Treasures, ranging from exploration to ambush to graveyard robbery. The last one earned Treasure Hunters the term that nearly everyone used to describe them: Grave Robbers.

The duo finally set foot on level ground, allowing them to stand and behold the ancient structure before them.

An enormous Greek-style temple towered over them, drowning the duo in its shadow. Marble pillars held up the roof of the temple, but Rashid was too preoccupied with the size of the structure than the architectural design itself. _Ancients_ couldn't have built a temple of this size. Only _giants_ could hope to erect a building of this size. Even the entrance could allow a giant to walk through!

"Buried in snow and ice for centuries," the archaeologist murmured as he took off his hat as a show of respect for the sacred building, "and the Sanctuary of the North stands proudly against the flow of time."

Rashid tilted his head, examining the temple at an angle. If he looked carefully enough, it looked as though most of the temple merged into the mountain. "It looks like part of the temple is buried," he noted curiously.

"Parts of the exterior are trapped in the glacier," the archaeologist admitted with a tone of lament. "We don't dare to destroy the ice, in case we damage the temple in the process."

* * *

 **6:00 PM**

Sting immediately leaped out of the wagon once it stopped at the Archaeological Society's camp. "Finally!" he screamed joyfully, taking large breaths.

"If I remember correctly, there is an avalanche zone not too far from here," Rufus reminded while Rogue sighed in relief as he climbed out of the wagon. "The volume of your voice could invoke an avalanche if you're not careful, Sting."

"Rufus is right, Sting," Rogue said as he pulled his cape closer around his body.

"Fro thinks so, too."

"So is anyone here?" Lector wondered as he examined the camp. "Or did they already go up to the temple?"

Sting sniffed the air carefully, relishing the scent of fresh air after his nausea induced by motion sickness. "There's a candle burning in one of the tents," he noted, pointing to one of the tents. "Let's go in there."

The wizards of Saber Tooth made their way over to the tent in question, a faint light glowing inside. Rogue grabbed part of the tent flap, only for a low growl to sound inside the tent. The Shadow Dragon Slayer almost retracted his hand in surprise. "A dog?"

"A visitor?" A voice inside questioned. The sound of footsteps made the wizards step back as a hand pulled back the flap, revealing a bearded archaeologist whose eyebrows rose at the sight of them. "Are you the wizards who actually took our request?"

"Yes," Rufus replied, inclining his head in a small bow. "We are wizards from Saber Tooth."

"You've heard of us, right?" Sting added a little arrogantly, causing Rogue to elbow the White Dragon Slayer.

"Let them in, Jean-Luc," another archaeologist called to the man named Jean-Luc. He let the wizards of Saber Tooth into the tent, allowing them to examine the interior and its occupants.

"Wah!" The Exceed of Saber Tooth hid behind their partners at the sight of the obsidian dog, who began to growl at them.

"What's a dog doing here?" Sting asked, glaring at the dog that scared his best buddy.

"Oh?" Rufus blinked in surprise, the memory of the same dog on the train returning to his thoughts. "You're the Anubian Jackal from the train."

The black canine barked in response, almost as if confirming Rufus' statement. In fact, it seemed that the Anubian Jackal understood him.

One of the archaeologists placed a bowl of water before the dog, who lapped it up happily. "Our guest is extremely intelligent, actually," Jean-Luc said, gesturing to Anubis. "As all dogs of his kind are."

"But whose dog is he?" Rogue asked.

"Actually, he belongs to the Treasure Hunter that came here before you."

"Treasure Hunter?!" The wizards exclaimed simultaneously.

* * *

Rashid followed the archaeologist down to the lower level of the temple, keeping his hand on the wall so he could feel his way through the near darkness. Even though the old man had a lamp, it let out a dim glow that couldn't lead them more than one step. Then again, the stairs were gigantic, which might have contributed to their current vision problem.

Every once in a while, Rashid caught a faint rancid smell that made his nose wrinkle. The Treasure Hunter covered his mouth with his sleeve, wondering if that was the scent of the decayed bodies of previous wizards.

After what seemed to be an eternity, the duo reached the end of the titanic stairs. But the lamp light was dangerously small enough that it went out as soon as they set foot in the basement. Rashid opened his mouth to ask if the old man had another light, only for the basement to answer to the need for luminescence. Torches along the walls lit up in rapid succession, lighting up the chamber to reveal its glory.

...Rashid sincerely hoped that this wasn't all the temple had to offer. His idea of a rigged treasure room included spiked walls, boulders, swinging blades, and all the works. The more hazardous the traps, the greater the thrill.

But this room, however, didn't fit his schema of a treasure chamber. Some of the same elements were present, but the traps didn't look like traps at all. A vast chasm separated the men from the entrance to the second basement chamber. Only a maze-like path that rose from the abyss served as their path to the other side, but the obstacles on the path made Rashid question the trap that brought so many wizards to their demise. Scattered across the maze, several marble statues that wielded swords or spears were positioned at random places on the path. Rashid highly doubted that an armed statue could actually prove a challenge, though the rotting corpses on the stone path begged to differ.

"So you mean to tell me," Rashid said, his voice heavy with annoyance as he turned to the old archaeologist, "that wielders of magic couldn't get past a few _statues_."

The balding man shook his head, a grim expression plastered on his age face. "The minute someone steps on that path, the statues attack. Look at the hilt of their weapons," he added, gesturing to the weapons each statue carried. Rashid noticed that a colored jewel rested where the hilt met the blade—or, in the spears' cases, somewhere on the shaft. With a closer look, he found that the jewels on the swords were of a different color than the jewels on the spears: red for the swords, blue for the spears. But what did it mean?

"The ones carrying spears cancel magic," the archaeologist informed before he redirected his hand from the spear-wielding statues to the ones carrying swords. "The ones with swords can attack with magic. They're capable of fighting without it, so long as they don't sense magic."

"Sense?" Rashid questioned. "You mean these statues are intelligent?"

"There seems to be something moving these statues, possibly magic," the old man admitted with a solemn nod. "Whatever is in the basement, the architects of this temple took all measures to protect it."

* * *

The wizards of Saber Tooth followed the Archaeological Society up the mountain, determined to complete the job before the Treasure Hunter did. With the amount of trap experience the archaeologists knew the Treasure Hunter had, the young man might have already reached the deepest part of the basement.

"I don't understand," Rufus said as they climbed after the Society and the Anubian Jackal, who decided to accompany them. "A Treasure Hunter usually takes what he wants without considering how he has to obtain it. So why—" The Memory-Make wizard caught up to the Anubian Jackal, who stopped for the wizards as if he were waiting for them. "—did this one bother to meet with the Archaeological Society before he pursued his true goal?"

"According to the Society," Rogue noted as the Anubian Jackal raced ahead of them, "the Treasure Hunter wanted to see if they had the treasure he came for."

"When he found only a stone replica," the masked man continued, "he agreed to help them through the basement in exchange for the real bracelet."

"So what's so odd about that?" Sting asked.

Rufus only shook his head while Rogue replied, "Treasure Hunters...don't bargain. They only know how to take."

"Maybe he's honest?" Frosch suggested.

Rufus narrowed his eyes at this comment, which didn't match how a Treasure Hunter behaved. "No, Frosch…there's no such thing as an honest Treasure Hunter."

* * *

Rashid rubbed his hands together as he examined the maze-like path before him. The way forward looked so easy that it seemed impossible to make a wrong turn. But he suspected that once the statues moved—only now did Rashid notice lines carved into the path—the wizards who came before him did everything to avoid their attacks—even stepping on a dead end before they fell to their deaths. "There has to be some kind of trick to stop them," he insisted. "All traps have a solution."

The archaeologist beside him scratched his chin thoughtfully, as though recalling an earlier memory. "Well, there must be one…but if there is, we have yet to find it."

 _So I'll have to run this maze blind, huh?_ Rashid thought as he walked toward the labyrinth. As soon as his foot touched the path, a baritone voice echoed through the chamber. "To those who seek to move forward…pay homage to the one who resides within."

The deep, ancient voice slowly died out, but the command it gave pierced Rashid to the core. The Treasure Hunter looked back at the old man, silently demanding an answer.

"That is the warning that every wizard received…" The old archaeologist said wearily, looking up to the ceiling as though the owner of the voice would descend upon them. "…before they met their demise."

"If it's a warning," Rashid said, turning back to the path before him, "then it must also be a clue." _Pay homage to the one who resides within,_ he thought, recalling the command of the ancient voice. "Does that I have to bow before I run the maze?" he wondered out loud.

The old archaeologist nodded thoughtfully, though a grave look communicated his dissent. "There was one wizard who had that idea," he admitted, "but the statues continued to attack him when he began the maze. He decided to keep bowing as he traversed the path…but in the end…" The elderly man bowed his head, placing his hat over his heart. "…he lost his head."

 _So bowing won't work,_ Rashid thought with a frown on his face. _But if I don't do anything, then there's no way I can get the bracelet._ He couldn't abandon his goal now, not when he came all this way. If he turned back, then the journey would have been in vain. But if he left, then the Archaeological Society could eventually find the Bracelet of Tiamat. He only had to snatch it when the opportunity arrived.

 _But that,_ Rashid thought as he narrowed his eyes, his hands curling into fists, _is a coward's victory. And I'm no coward_.

Taking a deep breath, Rashid broke into a run.

Just like the old man said, the statues came to life. The marble soldiers moved along the grooves on the path, serving as the route they would travel. A statue with a sword slashed at Rashid, who swerved out of the way. Another statue, this time a spear wielder, tried to pierce him, but the Treasure Hunter grabbed the shaft and used it to vault himself over the marble guard.

Meanwhile, the archaeologist watched the Treasure Hunt dodge the attacks skillfully, as if he somehow knew when they would attack. _This boy…is not an ordinary non-magic user_ , he thought. _However…he too hasn't figured out the trick to this trap._

Rashid landed on his feet just as a statue managed to slash his left chest. The Treasure Hunter clutched his chest in pain as he fell on his right knee. Before the sword could complete its arc, the sculpture stopped in its tracks.

It wasn't just one statue: in a chain reaction, all statues ceased to move. The Treasure Hunter and the archaeologist looked at the sculptures, wondering what had caused them to halt their assault.

 _They stopped!_ Rashid thought as he let out a sigh of relief. _But they wouldn't stop for nothing_ , he added to himself as he cast a doubtful eye at the obstacles that tried to kill him. _That means whatever I did, that's how I can get to the end of the maze. But what—?_

"Y-you there! Rashid!" The archaeologist called, using the Treasure Hunter's name for the first time. "Without moving your feet, stand up!"

 _Without moving my feet?_ Rashid thought as he looked down at himself. For the old man to give that kind of command, that meant that the position of Rashid's feet somehow signalled the statues to stop. Keeping his left foot in front of his right, Rashid shakily rose, keeping a hand on his bleeding chest. The Treasure Hunter half-expected the sculptures to attack once they saw that he was still alive and kicking. Even though the intruder stood on his feet, the statues remained immobile.

 _Pay homage to the one who resides within,_ Rashid recalled to himself as he looked down at his feet, his left before his right. _Putting my best foot forward here might have given me an advantage, but it didn't get me far._ Rashid pressed his hand against his left chest, hoping the statue didn't cut too deep. _But here, putting my left foot—my left side—in front of my right means I'm offering my heart to the thing that's in here! This is a temple, too. At one point in time, the ancients revered it as a deity!_

"To the one who resides within," Rashid said in a low voice as he dragged his feet to keep his left foot forward, "I now give my heart to you."


	6. The Place Where She Waits

As soon as the Treasure Hunter reached the other end of the chamber, the old man followed suit, keeping his left foot in front of his right. Rashid waited for the archaeologist to traverse the maze safely before he dared to proceed further. He might be a Treasure Hunter, but Rashid intended to keep his word—just until he had the Bracelet of Tiamat around his wrist.

"That's one obstacle taken care of," the elderly man said as he stepped off the labyrinth. "But I'm certain that whatever's ahead of us is more deadly than what we just finished. We must take caution from here."

Rashid could only nod in agreement as he faced the looming entrance to the next room. He unconsciously rubbed the place where the statue slashed him. The blood had long stopped flowing, but the wound was still open. He had bandages to cover it, but he lacked the medicine to disinfect it properly. The Treasure Hunter could only hope that by the time he was through here, his condition wouldn't worsen.

The dark-skinned teenager followed the archaeologist into the darkness of the corridor, keeping a hand on the wall until his hand met empty space. Without support, Rashid stumbled blindly in the dark until he tripped. Something clattered against the floor when Rashid fell, causing his head to turn around in the direction of the sound. "What was that?" he wondered out loud.

"Rashid!" The archaeologist called in the darkness. "Young man, where are you?"

Just like the room before, their need for light was answered by the chamber. Soft blue light emerged from the walls, creating odd patterns in rapid succession with unusual shapes. Rashid looked around the room—which was larger than the one they passed through earlier—taking in the sight of the designs on the walls. Judging by how the light slithered along the walls like snakes, it looked as though it were trying to depict something.

With a proper source of light, the archaeologist found Rashid not too far away—but something behind the Treasure Hunter made the old man scream in fright. The young man looked behind himself to see what had scared the old man—only to gape in awestruck fear at the large tail that led to the skeleton of a colossal reptilian creature.

"Wh-what is that?" The archaeologist stammered.

Rashid hurriedly pulled himself off the ground, choosing to stand beside the archaeologist to examine the skeleton. Occasionally he encountered skeletons in his Treasure Hunting career, but never did he find any skeletons other than human ones. So what was this?

* * *

"We're finally here!" Lector exclaimed once he caught sight of the temple.

"Yay!" Frosch cheered as he and Lector flew ahead of the group.

"Of course we'd make it!" Sting puffed his chest out in pride. "Not even a mountain could stand between the great Sting Eucliffe and his goal!" he crowed.

"Oh, dear," Rufus murmured as he adjusted his hat.

"Lower your voices, please," one of the old archaeologists pleaded quietly as they approached the temple. "This structure is in a potential avalanche zone."

"We would appreciate it if you didn't bury an important part of history," the second old man added.

Rogue stared at the pillars as they ascended the stairs, taking note of the size. "This place is unusually large," he said. "In fact, a Dragon could walk through the entrance," he added with a nod to the doorway.

"Actually, we never understood the size of the temple, either," Jean-Luc agreed.

While everyone else passed through the entrance, Rufus stopped at the threshold of the ancient temple, taking in the sight of his surroundings. He saw pictures of ruins in books and occasionally visited some, but never did he find an _entire_ structure that survived the test of time. The Memory-Make wizard closed his eyes, taking in the memory. How many years did this beautiful sanctuary spend hidden within the mountain, waiting to resurface? How many memories did it hold?

"Impressive, isn't it?" Jean-Luc said, nodding in approval to Rufus' reaction. "Actually, this temple was built during the time of the Four Tetrarchs."

Rufus' eyes suddenly opened, examining the interior of the sanctuary. "The Four Tetrarchs?" he repeated. "Then this temple was part of the Northern Tetrarchy."

One of the older archaeologists nodded in confirmation. "Your associate is well-versed in history," he said to the Dragon Slayers.

"Can someone explain everything to the rest of the class?" Sting demanded.

Rufus sighed inwardly in exasperation. Sting might have ranked within the top five of Saber Tooth, but he was hopeless when it came to history. "Centuries ago, the area that later became the country of Fiore was divided into four provinces, each governed by a ruler called a tetrarch. North, East, South, West: those were the names of the four tetrarchies."

Anubis the dog sniffed the floor, searching for the scent of his master. When he reached the beginning of the stairs, he barked and immediately headed down. The Archaeological Society gestured for the Saber Tooth wizards to follow them down the stairs. Even with the combined light of three lanterns, the path down to the basement was still difficult to traverse. Strangely, they couldn't hear the steps of the dog who ran ahead of them.

"Where's the Treasure Hunter's dog?" Sting questioned, looking around for the obsidian canine. With all the shadows, they could easily walk past the dog and never know it.

"Anubian Jackals can travel though shadows," Rufus informed. "I wouldn't be surprised if he managed to reach the bottom already."

Sting looked at Rogue, who happened to be Saber Tooth's expert in shadows. "Think you could get us though, Rogue?"

"I could," Rogue mused, his eyes focused on the shadows. "But I've gone six hours without eating. I'd prefer to do this." The Shadow Dragon Slayer sucked in a breath, drawing the shadows towards him. Slowly, the stairway brightened until the way forward was clear. At the bottom of the stairs, Anubis barked up to them.

The wizards of Saber Tooth reached the end of the stairs with the Archaeological Society in tow. The Society searched the chamber for signs of their companion and the Treasure Hunter, only to find a note tucked into one of the torch holders.

"Whoa." Lector flew around the chamber, soaring above and beyond to reach the ceiling. "This place is huge!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the room.

"Whee!" Frosch cheered, flying across the great expanse of the chamber.

"What's with the statues?" Sting wondered, trying to figure out why someone would put statues on the path across the room.

"Wait!" Jean-Luc yelled at the wizards who were about to step onto the path. "Don't go yet!"

"Huh?"

Anubis barked twice, alarming the Exceed, who nearly fell out of the air. The spear-wielding statues pointed their weapons at the Exceed in the air. Without warning, Lector and Frosch's wings vanished, causing them to plummet towards the path. The Anubian Jackal ran onto the path, catching the Exceed on his back.

"Hm?" The Archaeological Society looked from Anubis to the note in their hands in confusion, unable to comprehend how Anubis was able to walk forward without activating the statues. "That's odd," one of the older archaeologists murmured.

"Is there something wrong?" Rufus asked.

"The statues can cancel magic and attack with it," Jean-Luc explained, looking up at the group. "Actually, to traverse the maze safely, you must walk with your left foot forward."

"The left foot?" The wizards of Saber Tooth stared at their left feet, wondering what made it so special. "Why the left foot?" Sting demanded.

"Offering your left foot was equivalent to offering your heart," the second old man said. "It was a great sign of respect to royalty."

"Then how," Rogue began, turning his head in the direction of Anubis, who carried the Exceed over to the other side, "was the dog able to walk across?"

A light seemed to turn on in Jean-Luc's head. "He is a dog," he stated as though it explained everything, "and animals can't show respect like humans."

* * *

Rashid and the aged archaeologist inspected the second basement chamber carefully, searching for clues that could lead them forward. The Treasure Hunter tried his best to ignore the various skeletons of enormous reptilian creatures, but the bones attracted the curiosity of the elderly man, who proceeded to dust the bones and examine them.

 _Odd_ , Rashid thought, his eyes darting around the room. Unlike the first chamber, this one didn't have another doorway. Was this the deepest part of the temple? The Treasure Hunter shook his head mentally, refusing to believe that he came all this way to reach a dead end. _Think,_ he berated himself as he closed his eyes. _This is just another test. There has to be something._

A soft, cool breeze brushed his cheek, causing Rashid to open his eyes. When he did, though, the wind stopped flowing. He looked at the archaeologist, who began to write something in a journal. "Did you feel that?" he asked.

"Hm?" The old archaeologist lifted his head, regarding the Treasure Hunter with a puzzled expression. "Did I feel what?"

"The wind," Rashid said. "There was a wind blowing. Couldn't you feel it?"

The elderly man peered at him with a worried expression, something that irked Rashid. "I did not feel a breeze at all, young man. Are you sure you're feeling well?"

Rashid closed his eyes again, trying to convince himself not to lash out at the old man when the wind hit his face again. This time, a soft feminine voice rang through his mind. ' _Where the wind blows, there I wait.'_

Once again, the Treasure Hunter opened his eyes, searching for the owner of the voice. But there was no one here but himself and the archaeologist, who decided to try and decipher the markings on the walls.

 _Where the wind blows, someone's waiting_ , Rashid thought, closing his eyes once more. The wind blew again; this time, he decided to follow the breeze to its source.

"Hm?" The old archaeologist used his magnifying glass to get a better look at the markings, which were actually depicting a scene. A figure stood alone while the wind blew in his direction; the next picture depicted the figure advancing in the direction of the wind; the third scene portrayed the figure bowing before something that resembled a mirror. "What could this mean?" he murmured, unaware of the actions of Rashid, who walked slowly towards the wall facing the entrance.

After bumping into several skeletons and tripping over bones, Rashid found that the wind would dissipate if he opened his eyes. So he kept his right arm stretched out to feel his way towards the wind's source. When his hand touched stone, Rashid opened his eyes. The wall loomed over him, but claw markings on the surface caused Rashid to tilt his head. _They're way too high up to be made by people,_ Rashid thought, turning his head in the direction of the skeletons _. So only the things that were here before us could have done this. But...why?_

"Oh?" The aged archaeologist looked away from an adjacent wall long enough to see Rashid examining the wall facing the entry. "Did you find something, young man?" he called to the Treasure Hunter.

 _There's something behind this wall_ , Rashid concluded, running his hand along the wall's expanse. _Those things wouldn't have clawed this wall for nothing._

Rashid's hand rested against a design that resembled a cross between a winged dragon and an ouroboros. The mark began to glow as a small magic seal appeared and enveloped Rashid's wrist. The Treasure Hunter recoiled, but his arm remained in place, held back by the magic seal.

"Wh-what happened? What did you do?" the archaeologist shouted, worried that the young man might have set off a trap.

The magic seal vanished, releasing Rashid's right arm from its hold. The Treasure Hunter held his wrist against his chest, rubbing the smooth, cool material that encircled his wrist—

Wait, what?

Rashid looked at his wrist, blinking several times as he held it up to the light emanating from the wall. Dazzling blue gold lined and backed with yellow gold encompassed his wrist. Small blue wings sprouted from both the sides of the artifact. A golden dragon head crowned the bracelet with blue eyes that glinted in the light. "The Bracelet of Tiamat," Rashid said in a hushed voice as he marveled at the bracelet's beauty.

Immediately, the archaeologist came over and held the magnifying glass over the bracelet, taking in every detail. "Blue and yellow gold," he noted, "joined together seamlessly. And the eyes... such tiny jewels, so meticulously installed..."

Rashid had no idea what came over him; overwhelmed by feelings of triumph, he made a sweeping motion with his right arm, inspecting the bracelet at a distance. "The Bracelet of Tiamat is mine!"

A rumbling sound from the wall in front of them forced their attention back to it. The whole wall began to shine, causing Rashid and the old man to cover their eyes as a blinding light filled the chamber. As quickly as it came, the light vanished, allowing the two men to discover the wall before them gone, giving the chamber more capacity.

Eyes adjusting to the change, Rashid's eyes fell upon the end of the chamber, where a section of the new opposing wall composed of solid ice. The duo ran towards the other end of the chamber, unable to ignore the slab of ice that made up the wall.

Rashid stopped in front of the wall, taking in a sharp breath before he took a step back in awe. Suspended above him within the ice was a girl.


	7. The Girl in the Ice

While the old archaeologist gasped at the sight, Rashid's breath caught in his throat. Dressed in a simple yet elegant white and blue dress, the girl lingered inside the ice, giving no sign that she acknowledged their presence. A blue hair ribbon with small purple jewels adorned her head, but did little to hold back pure white hair that stopped a foot short of blue shoes that resembled slippers. Eyes closed to the world outside gave her a peaceful expression, as if she were sleeping. Judging by her stature, Rashid guessed that she was around his age, give or take a few years.

"Amazing," the elderly man murmured in awe as he examined the ice, trying to figure out how old it was. He then looked at the girl, examining her clothes. "Her dress is very similar to what a temple maiden wore over four hundred years ago."

 _Make that a couple_ hundred _years_ , he corrected in his head.

Could she have been the source of the voice? Was she the one who guided him to the treasure he sought? Even though she was trapped within the ice, only she could have the feminine voice that he heard. "'Where the wind blows, there I wait,'" Rashid repeated as he closed his eyes. The aged archaeologist could only tilt his head in confusion, oblivious to what had led the Treasure Hunter to his prize.

There it was: the gentle breeze that beckoned him brushed his face, this time as a cold wind. Rashid pressed his hand against the ice, shivering from the lack of warmth. The ice didn't seem to melt against his palm, but there was no way he could mistake the small pulse beating against his hand.

Rashid opened his eyes, eyebrows furrowing in bewilderment. "Is she...still alive?" he wondered out loud. There was no way a heartbeat could find its way through a layer of ice...right?

* * *

Once the Anubian Jackal reached the entrance to the other side of the labyrinth chamber, the Exceed spread their wings again as they waited for the wizards of Saber Tooth and the Archaeological Society to cross safely. Anubis, however, sniffed the air and barked wildly, nearly causing the people traversing the maze to misstep. The obsidian dog ran ahead, vanishing into the darkness of the hallway.

"Hurry, Sting-kun!" Lector called. "The Treasure Hunter's dog is already ahead of us!"

"Fro thinks so too!" Frosch agreed.

"But the Treasure Hunter was ahead of us from the beginning," Rufus pointed out as he stepped off the maze path. "I wouldn't be surprised if he reached the end of the basement already."

"Really, Rufus? You have that little faith in us?" Sting leaped and landed just before the entrance to the second chamber. "You know we can't let a Grave Robber steal the glory from Saber Tooth! Think of what the old man would do!"

"He wouldn't be pleased at all," Rogue added, trailing after Sting. The Shadow Dragon Slayer noticed the darkness of the hallway before a dark smile lined his lips. Sucking in a breath, the shadows of the corridor rushed into his mouth until the path was bright enough to walk through safely.

"Hm?" Rogue's Dragon Slayer sight enabled him to see farther than everyone but Sting, who seemed to notice what lay inside the second chamber. "Are those bones?" the Shadow Dragon Slayer asked aloud.

"They don't look like human bones," Sting agreed. "The smell isn't human, either," he added as he ran ahead of the group, followed closely by Rogue and their Exceed.

"Their eyesight is impressive," one of the older members of the Archaeological Society commented as the group proceeded to join the Dragon Slayers.

"It seems to be a trait all Dragon Slayers share," Rufus said as they entered the room, only to stop to take in what lay inside.

Bones. Countless bones connected to form enormous reptilian skeletons, which lay scattered around half of the vast chamber.

"What is this?" Rufus murmured as the Archaeological team grouped around one skeleton to identify the bones.

"..." Sting placed a hand against a rib that rivaled him in height while he gazed upon the skeleton with a sort of reverent awe. "...Dragon bones," he finally said, removing his hand. "It's a Dragon graveyard."

Jean-Luc Neville sputtered in shock when he heard Sting's deduction. "I beg your pardon? Dragons?"

"It would explain the size of the temple," Lector noted, regarding the capacity of the room. "It's like this temple was built to welcome Dragons."

"Fro thinks so, too!"

"But Dragons and humans...sharing a holy structure..." Rufus glanced around the room: though the evidence inside proved Rogue's deduction true, the very though seemed— "Impossible," he finished, shaking his head in disbelief.

A loud bark from the other end of the chamber made their heads turn in the direction of a slab of ice within the wall. Unable to suppress their curiosity, the wizards of Saber Tooth and the Archaeological Society rush over. As they drew closer, they could see a dark-skinned young man pat Anubis' head with a hand adorned by a golden bracelet.

* * *

"We can't leave her like this," Rashid said.

The archaeologist regarded the Treasure Hunter curiously, though the dark-skinned teen wondered if he was looking at him or the Bracelet of Tiamat. "You have the treasure that you wanted. There's no need for you to stay any longer than you planned."

Rashid's head turned to the elderly man, eyes narrowed. "I might be a Treasure Hunter, but I'm not heartless enough to abandon someone who obviously needs help." Years of Treasure Hunting made him disregard the ethics of obtaining his target, but even he knew the difference between a Treasure and a life.

The archaeologist nodded with an approving smile on his face. "Yes. I knew you weren't that kind of person." The old man picked at the ice, trying to obtain a sample, but the ice withstood his many attempts. "Hm..." The archaeologist examined his ice pick, trying to fathom how ice could withstand its force. "This is no ordinary ice," he murmured, scratching his chin. "Surely, there must be a way to free the girl..."

The archaeologist paid no attention to the canine yelp as he examined the slab of ice. Rashid, however, spun on the spot as soon as he heard his best friend bark. He grinned gleefully as he knelt down, allowing Anubis to place his paws on his shoulders as the Anubian Jackal licked his face madly. "Ow, watch the claws, Anu! I know, I'm happy to see you, too!"

Anubis' paws returned to the floor as he wagged his tail, panting happily. "Wanna see something, buddy?" Rashid held out his hand, its crown shining brilliantly for the two to marvel at. The Anubian Jackal barked wildly, obviously delighted by his owner's victory. "That's right!" he agreed, patting Anubis' head. "The Bracelet of Tiamat is ours at last."

The sound of approaching feet forced the young man and the old man to look at the approaching group. Rashid recognized the rest of the Archaeological Society, but the three youths and the flying cats were unfamiliar to him. "Who are you?" The Treasure Hunter asked bluntly.

Sting gave the Treasure Hunter a once-over before he sneered at the young man, causing Rashid to clench his hands. "We're from Saber Tooth, punk," the White Dragon Slayer bragged as Anubis picked up on his owner's fury and growled at the Saber Tooth wizards. "We're the _wizards_ that were actually hired for the job. So run back home and let the big boys do their jobs, Grave Robber."

Not one to back down from a challenge, Rashid smiled coldly. "Better wizards than you died on that maze," he taunted, causing Sting to glare at the Treasure Hunter. "If it wasn't for me, you'd be nothing but rotting kebabs."

"Gentlemen," Jean-Luc Neville said sternly, "now is not the best time to fight."

" _We_ have _magic_ , kid," Sting derided haughtily. "That's what separates you from us. Those statues nearly killed _you_ ; on the other hand, _we_ got out without a scratch."

"Sting," Rogue warned in a sharp voice.

"Provoking the inferior is beneath us, Sting," Rufus advised as he adjusted his hat. "Stop now, before you embarrass yourself further."

Instead taking their advice, Lector just had to join in. "Unlike you, Treasure Hunter, Sting-kun is so strong, the statues couldn't attack him!"

"Fro says so, too!"

Anubis barked at the Exceeds, causing them to hide behind their respective owners. "If you're so high and mighty, magic user," Rashid goaded, lifting his wrist for the wizards to look and weep at, "then why am I holding the crown jewel of the treasure hold?"

"Enough!" One of the old archaeologists cried, sick and tired of the tirade between the two youths. The wizards and the Treasure Hunter looked at the old man, who glared at them disapprovingly. "I have half a mind to fire all of you for such an immature display!" he admonished. "Now act your age!"

Rogue and Rufus glanced at Sting, who in turn glowered at the Treasure Hunter. Rashid, however, ignored Sting with a smirk on his face, adding fuel to the White Dragon Slayer's anger.

Rufus turned his attention to the girl in the ice. "So this is what the ancients sought to protect?" he asked. "A girl?"

The Archaeological Society payed no attention to the wizards and the Treasure Hunter as they studied the ice together. "Amazing," Jean-Luc Neville said in a hushed voice, pressing his hand against the ice. "Actually trapped inside for at least four centuries...yet she's preserved perfectly."

One of the archaeologists hit the ice with an icepick, listening to the sound that reverberated from it. "There seems to be an air pocket within the ice," he noted, looking up to the girl. "It's possible to release her."

The archaeologist who accompanied Rashid nodded approvingly yet he paced the floor in doubt. "Yes, but the ice can't be broken. I tried just before you joined us."

"The ancients wouldn't have made it so easy to release her, actually," Jean-Luc admitted. "But if we can somehow dispel the ice, this girl could tell us what happened four hundred years ago." He looked to the other three archaeologists, who nodded in agreement. The four men stepped away from the ice and held a hand out, ready to cast Dispel. "On the count of three," he called. "One!"

"Two!"

"Three!"

Rashid and the wizards of Saber Tooth looked at the ice, which glowed briefly under Dispel. The light faded, but the team spell did little to effect the layer of ice. The members of the Archaeological Society glanced at each other, baffled by the fact that their magic failed to remove the obstruction.

Sting let out a low whistle, impressed by the durability of the ice. "Not even a dent!"

"I can't fathom what kind of title this girl could have held in this temple," Rufus said, watching the Society discuss how to remove the ice again, "but I imagine she was important enough if the ancients made it this difficult to release her."

"If our magic couldn't dispel the ice," Jean-Luc Neville began, looking around the chamber, "then maybe the depictions on the walls can offer a clue."

Everyone surveyed the walls, which still bore the designs drawn by light. One of the old archaeologists, however, remembered one of the depictions he found. _A wind...the Treasure Hunter said he felt a breeze_ , he recalled. After that, it showed a person bowing before what looked like a mirror... The old archaeologist glanced from the wall of ice to the floor, where he could make out carved lines buried in dust and dirt.

"Young man!" The archaeologist who accompanied Rashid called. The wizards of Saber Tooth turned their heads at the same time the Treasure Hunter did, thinking that the Society was referring to one of them. "Rashid, come here for a second!"

Rashid rushed over with Anubis at his heels, oblivious to the glare aimed towards him by the White Dragon Slayer. The archaeologist whipped a small brush out of his bag and began to sweep the floor, revealing small parts of the floor carvings at a time. His colleagues soon joined him, eventually unearthing runes carved into the floor. Rashid tilted his head, squinting at the letters as though it would help him read them. "Some kind of message?"

"Or perhaps instructions," Jean-Luc interjected, pulling out a pocketbook filled with languages that Rashid barely recognized. "Yes...yes! Here it is!" Whatever Jean-Luc Neville found in his book, it seemed to help him translate the language as he wrote on an empty page. When his pen stopped writing, the head archaeologist read his work, eyebrows furrowing in concern.

"Is something wrong?" Rogue asked.

"No..." the archaeologist answered in a low voice. "Actually, I don't know what to make of this."

"But what does it say?" Rufus questioned, wondering what could have made the archaeologist doubt his findings.

Jean-Luc Neville surveyed the girl inside the ice before he faced the people assembled in the chamber. Clearing his throat, he read aloud:

 **Bearer of the Bracelet of Tiamat,  
Bend thy knee and affirm thy vow.  
The dying wind awakens the god,  
Ushering destruction in its wake.  
When kings fall, Dragon Queen rises.**

Sting looked up at the girl, a triumphant smirk lining his lips. "Dragon Queen, huh? I like the sound of that."


	8. Saber Tooth's Reward

Rufus focused his gaze on the girl in the ice. "It would seem that she has some connection to an entity called the Dragon Queen," he noted. "As I remember, the Dragon Queen existed long ago as a Dragon named Tiamat."

Sting turned to the archaeologists, who could only stare at the girl in a mixture of fascination and fear. "What are you waiting for? Aren't you gonna get her out?"

"That's easier said than done, Sting," Rogue pointed out. "We have no idea how to get her out of the ice."

"We already have the instructions!" Sting pointed a finger towards the carvings on the floor. "Part of the translation sounded a lot like a how-to guide!"

"If we got her out, imagine how strong Saber Tooth would be with the Dragon Queen in our guild!" Lector added.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

Anubis barked sharply, drawing the wizards' attention to the Treasure Hunter and his dog, both of whom regarded the wizards disapprovingly. Rashid never kept many tabs on the magic world, but he knew enough about Saber Tooth to label them as power-hungry morons. "That message has a warning," the Treasure Hunter said firmly, "one meant to keep overpowered lowlifes from getting their hands on a sacred deity."

"This coming from you?" Rufus admonished. "A Treasure Hunter who takes precious artifacts without caring who or where he has to take it from?"

"Don't act so high and mighty, punk," Sting sneered, positioning his body into an attacking stance. "Not when we have the upper hand."

"Sting-kun is stronger than you'll ever be, Treasure Hunter," Lector informed pointlessly. "If you have enough common sense, you'll back down and help us get the girl out."

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch chirped.

Anubis growled at the wizards, baring his teeth while his hackles rose. Rashid balled his hands into fists, matching the canine's rage. "You're out of your mind if you think I'd help you, _wizard_ ," the Treasure Hunter spat in disgust.

"Gentlemen!" Jean-Luc Neville warned sternly, bringing their argument to a halt. "We are about to make a great discovery and you're all acting like children! If you carry on like this, I will not hesitate to send you away for inappropriate behavior!"

"Nice going, Grave Robber," Sting chided nastily, shooting a glare at Rashid.

"It's all the Treasure Hunter's fault," Lector agreed as though there was no room for disagreement.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

In response to the Exceed's comments, Anubis snorted, which Rashid translated as, "Anubis says drop dead, fuzzballs."

"'Bend thy knee and affirm thy vow,'" one of the archaeologists murmured, ignoring Lector's indignant protest and Frosch's cries. "It's asking you to kneel here, Rashid," he added, as though he only just remembered the Treasure Hunter standing next to him.

"But what about the other part?" Rashid looked up at the girl, wondering how long she had remained in the ice...and how much more she could stand. "What kind of vow am I supposed to make?" The Archaeological Society could only look among themselves helplessly, unable to assist the Treasure Hunter any further.

Rashid held up his wrist, adorned by the treasure he searched high and low for. He wondered if the last person to wear this bracelet made some kind of vow as well. A vow to a deity, perhaps? He glanced behind himself: Sting glowered back expectantly, waiting for his next move. _The minute she's out of the ice, Saber Tooth will probably take her away_ , Rashid thought, turning back to the girl in the ice. His right hand balled into a fist, indicating his determination to thwart the wizards' potential plan. _There's no way I can let that happen!_

Slowly, Rashid folded his right knee back, placing a hand on his left knee and the other on the floor. "To the one who resides within," he said, recalling his declaration on the maze, "I now give my heart to you. And where my heart rests..." The Treasure Hunter closed his eyes, trying to see if he could contact the voice that led him here. _Whoever you are...even if you're alive or dead...I won't let them have you._

"...there my loyalty lies," Rashid finished, opening his eyes while he kept his head low. Sting snickered softly at the Treasure Hunter's cheesy vow. Rashid clenched his right hand, trying to keep his annoyance towards the arrogant blond at bay. Was it his imagination, or was the temperature of the chamber changing to match his anger?

The Anubian Jackal barked madly, causing Rashid to check to see what was wrong with his buddy at the same time a dull _thud_ sounded from the wall of ice. Everyone in the room gasped as the wall of ice cracked like a broken mirror. Without warning, the ice shattered, its pieces collapsing to the floor.

With nothing to keep her suspended, the girl plummeted towards the ground. Rashid sprung into action: he kicked off the ground, rushing past the awestruck Archaeological Society with his arms outstretched so he could catch her.

Somehow, his shadow reached the girl before he did. But Rashid realized it wasn't his shadow when Rogue emerged from it. The Treasure Hunter skidded to a halt as the girl fell into Rogue's arms. Sting whistled loudly, applauding his partner's feat. "Nice catch, Rogue!"

"Fro thinks so, too!"

The Archaeological Society snapped out of their daze in time to see the Shadow Dragon Slayer holding the girl. Jean-Luc Neville cleared his throat and ushered the Saber Tooth wizard over. "Quickly! Bring her here!"

Adjusting the girl's weight in his arms, Rogue walked towards the Society with Rashid at his heels. The rest of the group from Saber Tooth made their way over as well, accompanied by the Anubian Jackal. Jean-Luc reached for the girl's wrist and pressed his fingers against her radial artery. The archaeologist shivered in response to the coldness of the girl's body...but that didn't stop him from jolting in surprise to the faint pulse of life that came from her. "Amazing," he murmured, keeping his hold on her wrist. "She's cold to the touch, but she still emits a pulse."

"Trapped inside for four hundred years...yet here she is," another archaeologist noted. "The ice must have kept this girl in a state of suspended animation."

* * *

 **Mountain Base**

Rashid winced when the disinfecting alcohol touched his wound, stinging the broken flesh. Anubis whimpered as though he could feel his master's pain, but Rashid patted the dog's head reassuringly before he turned to the group near the bed next to his.

Sting's feet tapped the ground impatiently, much to the annoyance of his companions. Rufus passed the time by examining the artifacts unearthed by the Archaeological Society, no doubt contemplating which one he wanted to take. Rogue simply stood off to the side, looking as though he were in deep thought.

The Archaeological Society, however, scribbled in their notebooks furiously as they examined the girl, who rested on the bed on Rashid's right. He could hear faint mumbles along the lines of "living mummy" and "discovery of the century". It frustrated the Treasure Hunter that they regarded her as an artifact, much like they did to him when he arrived at the camp.

After what seemed like forever, Jean-Luc Neville set his notebook down and turned to the Treasure Hunter and the wizards of Saber Tooth. "Gentlemen...as we promised in our request, we will allow you to take one item that we have discovered." The archaeologist turned to the Treasure Hunter, nodding to him in acknowledgement. "Though I believe you are actually satisfied with your treasure."

Rashid nodded back, smiling to show his satisfaction. Anubis yapped happily, matching his owner's attitude. Jean-Luc Neville turned his attention to the wizards of Saber Tooth. "We'll allow you to take up to three items," he explained, gesturing to the table that held the artifacts they discovered. "Feel free to choose what you wish."

Rufus stood up; but before he could make his way over, Sting smirked, flashing his fangs. "We only want one thing from you guys." With a wave of his hand, he pointed to the girl on the bed. "We'll be taking the Dragon Queen with us."


	9. When She Wakes

_What was happening?_

 _The Sanctuary of the North shook violently on its foundations, forcing many to the floor when they lost their balance. W_ _as an earth tremor occurring?_

 _A hand adorned by a blue serpentine bracelet clamped around her wrist as she was led down to the basement. At the same time, figures robed in white and blue, much like herself, ascended the stairs. She could hear them shouting, but their voices seemed distant._

 _Why were they shouting?_

 _The one who held her wrist sped up once they reached the lower chamber, crossing the vast room until they stepped over the doorway to the next chamber. Behind them, she could hear the room rumbling. She glanced back, an inaudible gasp escaping when she found the floor replaced by a chasm with a labyrinth within it._

 _The hand pulled her forward, redirecting her attention to the altar that they approached. But why did it seem like something was missing?_

 _A large, ivory-scaled Dragon stood before the altar. Had it waited for their arrival?_

 _Her guide brought her to stand on the altar. He released her hand and she began to float until she met the eyes of the Dragon. She could hear it say something while the bearer of the bracelet stepped down from the altar._

 _Why was the air becoming colder? She could see ice forming a barrier between herself and the Dragon and the bearer of the bracelet, eventually spreading within the altar's space._

 _The spell of sleep took her consciousness, forcing her eyes to close._

* * *

The Archaeological Society erupted in protest at Sting's declaration; even his own team mates seemed to disapprove. In fact, the only ones who had no problem with the Dragon Slayer's claim to the girl were the Exceed.

"That's our Sting-kun," Lector said, nodding his head smugly. "He knows how to pick out the cream of the crop!"

"Fro thinks so, too!"

"We can't let you take the girl!" One of the old archaeologists protested. "She's a human being, not a relic!"

"And weren't you the geezers who were treating her like a relic just minutes ago?" Sting sneered, admonishing their earlier examination of the girl. "If you had the balls to treat her like an object, you can afford to give her away just the same."

"Why, the nerve of you—!"

"Sting!" Rogue warned, standing near the nightstand of the girl's bed. "Get a hold of yourself. You know we can't take her."

"It's unwise to try and argue for the girl," Rufus joined in, adjusting his hat. "Continue this behavior and we'll be forced to leave without the reward."

"Fro thinks so, too!" Frosch chirped.

"But Rufus-kun, think about how strong Saber Tooth would be with the _Dragon Queen_!" Lector countered. "With her, no one would deny that Saber Tooth is the strongest guild in Fiore!"

Anubis barked wildly at the magicians of Saber Tooth, bringing their attention back to the Treasure Hunter, who forced himself out of bed. "So that's what it's all about for you? Power? Fame?" Rashid raised his head, dark eyes glinting furiously at Saber Tooth. "I doubt that an ancient deity like the Dragon Queen would lend her strength to a guild like Saber Tooth."

"And I doubt that the Dragon Queen would overlook the thefts of a Grave Robber," Sting chided.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the girl shifted in bed and sat up, blue eyes blinking rapidly in reaction to the light, though the candles offered minimal lighting. She tried to stand as she left the bed, but centuries of disuse made her legs buckle under her own weight, forcing her to grasp the nightstand for support.

Meanwhile, Rashid's hands balled into fists. Before he could snap back at the Dragon Slayer, movement from behind Saber Tooth made him crane his neck to peer around the magicians. An involuntary gasp escaped his mouth when he saw the girl out of bed. "Miss!" he cried before he could stop himself.

All heads turned in the direction of the girl, who jolted now that she was the center of their attention. Immediately, the Archaeological Society rushed over to her, forcing Sting and Rufus to move out of the way as they swarmed her.

"Her legs are showing signs of atrophy," one of the old archaeologists noted.

"Yes, of course," one of his colleagues added. "Centuries of entombment within ice...who wouldn't show those signs?"

Rashid wanted to pull his hair out in frustration as the Archaeological Society continued to scrutinize her, only adding to her discomfort. Was it a habit of theirs to treat everything they came into contact with as a relic? He felt like telling them off, but he feared that raising his voice would only scare her further. Anubis whimpered, expressing his worry for the girl.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer—who happened to be the person closest to her—seemed to pick up on her uneasiness as well. Rogue stretched his arm in front of her as if to shield her from the Society's examination. The girl looked at the Dragon Slayer with uncertain gratitude in her eyes. "You're scaring her," he stated, giving the Society a reproving look. The Archaeological Society stepped back shamefully, but everyone could tell they did little to ease the girl.

Jean-Luc Neville cleared his throat awkwardly as he rethought his approach. "Young lady," he said gently, "can you tell us the last thing you remember?"

"...!" Even the placid tone of his voice failed to calm her: the girl shook her head profusely before she hid herself behind the closest thing that was large enough to do so—which happened to be _Rogue_.

Rogue stared at the girl who now held the back of his cape like a lifeline, clearly taken off guard by her action. Rufus lifted his hat a little, taking note of the current situation. "Oh, my..."

Sting, however, smirked triumphantly. "There you have it. She knows where she wants to go. So if you don't mind, we'll take her with us."

"But that's—!"

Rogue felt the girl flinch in response to the Society's outraged protests. She was scared, that much he knew. He also knew the Archaeological Society failed to make a good impression on her, which explained why she hid behind him. The Shadow Dragon Slayer twisted his body until he got a better look at her. The girl couldn't have been older than fourteen or fifteen. "Do you want to come with us?" he asked quietly.

The girl raised her head, meeting his red eyes with her frightened blue. She nodded slowly, pulling on his cape to reaffirm her assent.

"...Let's go," Rogue said. Taking her by the hand—which nearly froze his hand as it was that cold—the Shadow Dragon Slayer led her out of the tent, followed by his guild mates. The Archaeological Society and the Treasure Hunter could only gape as Saber Tooth took the girl away, leaving them astonished and frustrated in their wake.


	10. In Pursuit of the Girl

Only when the Society's camp was barely out of sight did Rufus look back. He remembered that the dark came quickly during the winter, but in the rush to leave, the fact barely lingered in his mind. "It's too dark to traverse safely back to town. Perhaps it would have been wise to spend the night at the camp," he lamented.

"And let the old geezers try to take her back?" Sting cried, jabbing a thumb behind him, where Rogue and Frosch trailed behind with the girl in tow.

"If we stayed any longer, the Society would have convinced her to stay," Lector said. "We were lucky to get out when the Dragon Queen agreed to come."

"Fro thinks so, too!"

The Memory-Make wizard examined the girl discreetly. While she seemed to regain some motor capacity, it was clear from the distant look in her eyes that the ice didn't just affect her legs. After spending centuries within her icy prison, she barely had an idea as to what was going on. "...I would imagine that the _Dragon Queen_ Tiamat would put up more of a struggle against her captors," he finally replied, turning back to the White Dragon Slayer.

Sting waved a hand dismissively. "She knows where the real power lies, Rufus."

Frowning in disagreement, Rufus opened his mouth to voice his rebuttal when something fell behind them with a _thump_. The blond men wheeled around to see Frosch standing next to the girl's unconscious form. "Rogue, what happened?" Sting demanded as his partner bent down to see what was wrong with the girl.

"Why did the pretty lady fall, Rogue?" Frosch asked. The Exceed's eyes filled with tears as a horrible possibility crossed his mind. "Is she...dead?"

The girl was still breathing, but Frosch failed to see that in his panic. Patting his best friend's head reassuringly, Rogue shook his head. "No, Frosch. She's sleeping."

"She's exhausted," Rufus corrected while Rogue scooped the girl into his arms. "Trapped in the ice for centuries and it took her all of her strength to keep up with us."

"But she's the Dragon Queen!" Lector protested. "She's supposed to be powerful!"

"She may be the Dragon Queen, but at the moment, she is only a human girl," the Memory-Make wizard reminded. _But he's right, in a sense_ , he thought, casting a doubtful look at the girl. _If this girl is the Dragon Queen_ — _the deity who was said to be the origin of all dragons—then why is she here before us in human form? Like this, she's extremely vulnerable._ Rufus took in their surroundings to see if they could set up a small camp, but only a snow-covered tundra failed to meet his hopeful expectation. "We can't stay here for the night, not if we want Tiamat to die on us," he added. "Our only choice is to keep moving."

* * *

"She was disoriented," Rashid finally said, breaking the silence that Saber Tooth left them in when they left with the girl. Her dazed eyes made it clear that though she was still alive, her mind hadn't caught up to reality yet. "She didn't have a clue of what was going on." Anubis yapped, voicing his agreement with his master.

Jean-Luc Neville wrung his hands frantically, aghast from how easily Saber Tooth escorted the girl away. "Yes...that is actually the most plausible explanation. I will admit, in our eagerness to question her, we overlooked her condition."

 _Probably because you only saw her as a piece of history_ , Rashid thought bitterly.

"And when the Dragon Slayer shielded her, he must have imprinted on her as a protector," another archaeologist added. "Hence why she chose to leave with them. That behavior is akin to a duckling and its mother."

"But what will happen when she regains awareness?" the balding archaeologist questioned. "Will she still view the Dragon Slayer as such?"

"On the off chance that she sees Saber Tooth as a threat, then we may be able ask her to come with us," Jean-Luc reasoned.

Anubis growled abruptly, causing the Archaeological Society to return their attention to the duo from Sylph Labyrinth. "You must be mistaken if you think she'll come back to you guys," Rashid admonished, "not after the way you treated her."

"But those wizards only intend to use her to unlock an ancient power!" Jean-Luc cried. "You said it yourself, young man! Surely, you don't mean to leave that girl in their hands?"

"As much as I hate those power-hungry wizards, I'd rather see her in danger with them than to see her collecting dust with you!"

"You can't truly mean that!" the archaeologist who accompanied Rashid protested. "She is not safe with those wizards _—_ someone must rescue her!"

"And I'm under no obligation to fulfill that." Rashid brandished a finger at the Archaeological Society. "I made a deal to get you through that basement until I got the Bracelet of Tiamat—everything that I did after that was my own choice. Your rules have no hold on me now. If you want the girl that badly, get her yourself."

The Treasure Hunter spun on his heel before he stalked out of the tent with Anubis at his heels, both of them ignoring the indignant cries of the Archaeological Society.

* * *

Rashid's anger towards the Society for their shameless treatment of the girl rendered him impervious to the cold, but he felt it diffuse little by little after walking for ten minutes. He felt reason return to his mind, which warned him to find a shelter immediately. However, the Treasure Hunter refused to return to the Society's camp _—_ that would mean the same as giving into their demands. That was something his pride as a Treasure Hunter couldn't take.

Anubis looked up and whined to his master, who shook his head. "I'm not going back there, Anu," he said firmly. The dog seemed to shake his head, indicating that his master misunderstood. "The girl? You want me to get her back?" Anubis barked in confirmation. Rashid sighed. "I'm not going after her so the Society can take her back."

The Anubian Jackal growled, obviously displeased with his master's answer. "Forget it, Anubis," Rashid said, walking past his dog. "She wanted to leave with Saber Tooth _—_ I'm not going to oppose her choice."

Anubis ran ahead of Rashid and stood before him, posing as an obstruction to his path and decision. The Anubian Jackal barked at his master, regarding him with an expression akin to disapproval. Looking into his partner's eyes, Rashid felt the rest of his anger die down. Anubis sniffed at the Bracelet of Tiamat, reminding Rashid of the vow he took. "...You really want to save that girl, too, Anubis?"

The obsidian dog yapped once to his master's question; Rashid bent down and patted Anubis' head. "Alright, buddy. On my honor as a Treasure Hunter, I'll rescue her." The Treasure Hunter's expression darkened, his hand resting upon the canine's ears. As much he didn't want to play into the Archaeological Society's expectations, he couldn't leave her with Saber Tooth. "However...I can't guarantee that I'll bring her back to the Archaeological Society."

Anubis barked several times, as though expressing that he expected nothing more. "Alright, Anubis—" Rashid returned to his feet and straightened his blazer. "Our next target: the girl!"


	11. A Cry for Help

**X791, January 26, 7:30 PM**

 **Saber Tooth**

Sting kicked the doors to Saber Tooth's headquarters open, bringing all eyes to the entrance. The White Dragon Slayer strutted in proudly with the girl thrown over his shoulder. Lector followed his best friend with the same pompous air while Rufus and Rogue—who carried Frosch—came in after. "We're back!" Sting declared.

"Hey, who's the girl?" Orga called.

Rufus lowered his hat over his eyes. Though he disapproved of taking the girl like a spoil of war, they had already brought her to their base. "As much as I hate to refer to her as such, the girl is our _prize_ ," he finished.

"She's worth more than all of the relics the Archaeological Society had to offer," Lector said, crossing his arms smugly. "Sting-kun has a good eye for valuables!"

"Fro thinks so, too!"

"And what value could the girl possibly have?" A gruff voice from above boomed. All mages on the first floor rose to their feet as Jiemma descended the stairs. Once his feet touched the ground floor, his eyes narrowed at the group of wizards who returned. "Saber Tooth has no need for trash—so why bring in a waste of human life that can't even prove its worth?"

Rufus and Rogue knew that by taking the girl, they would hit this little snag. To enter Saber Tooth, a mage had to go through a series of tests to prove themselves worthy of bearing the mark. But here they were with a girl who couldn't prove her ability at the moment.

"According to an inscription found in the temple, the girl has some connection to an ancient deity known as the Dragon Queen Tiamat," Rufus explained, drawing murmurs from his colleagues. "Sting is under the impression that with the girl in Saber Tooth, there will be no guild that would dare to oppose us."

* * *

 _"Shall I...secret?"_

 _A hand adorned by a blue serpentine dragon bracelet grasped one of hers. She could faintly make out some of the words of the hand's owner._

 _"…use…the Dragon Queen to…conquer…but…the bracelet serves another…"_

 _Why couldn't she hear him completely?_

 _"…one day…be free…cia..."_

 _Why did his words seem like a dying breath?_

 _"If...I am no longer..." The owner of the bracelet continued, "then...run...far away, where those who seek...power...never find you..."_

* * *

"…" The girl awoke to the uproar created by the members of Saber Tooth, many of whom doubted that the girl could actually be the legendary Tiamat from antiquity.

"Tiamat's awake," she heard a man's voice say, making the person who carried her set her on her feet.

The girl stumbled on her feet, her legs still unable to support her though she was beginning to learn how to stand on them again. She looked around wildly, trying to discern where she was and what was going on.

There were people—so many people, many of them failing to dress themselves with the proper decorum. Even the various hairstyles she saw fell short of acceptable standards, yet the way she was regarded made it seem like _she_ was the one breaking custom.

"Hey, Tiamat!" A young man with blond hair who displayed his midsection shamelessly spun her around until she faced him, clamping his hands on her shoulders. "Are you gonna show us what you're made of or what?" Sting demanded, his fingers digging painfully into her skin.

 _"...run...far away, where those who seek...power...never find you..."_

She couldn't completely make sense of what the blond man was saying, but it seemed as though he wanted her to reveal her power. He seemed to match the kind of person that the previous owner of the Bracelet of Tiamat had warned her about.

Shaking her head profusely, the girl forced Sting's hands away before rushing away from him. To where, she had no idea but she presumed that the double doors that met her desperate gaze led outside.

"Don't let her get away!" Sting yelled. "Someone grab her!"

A hand grabbed her long hair, which had trailed behind her in her attempt to escape. She tried to pry the hand that caught her, but the mage kept a tight grip as he dragged her away from the doors. She wanted to scream for the man to let her go, but found that her voice failed her.

A blue light shone from one of her hands as she continued her pitiful attempts to loosen her captor's iron grip. The nails of her glowing hand dug into the Saber Tooth mage's skin; the mage yelled out and released her, holding his hand as a burning cold sensation filled his arm. He looked at his arm, gaping in horror at the sight that met his eyes.

The whole of Saber Tooth watched as the mage's arm turned into ice—even his clothes transformed from fabric into frozen water. But it didn't stop there: having frozen his entire arm, whatever spell the girl cast continued to consume his shoulder before spreading out all over his body. The mage looked at the girl, eyes narrowing at her fearful expression. "You!" he snarled.

The girl, horrified by what she had done—though she had no idea how she had done it—turned to run away. The mage, whose form was nearly consumed by the girl's spell, made one last attempt to grab her hair, but his outstretched arm froze in place. He opened his mouth, but the spell overwhelmed him at last. An ice statue in the mage's image took his place, its outstretched arm and open mouth making the statue look like it was asking for the girl to come back.

Determined to keep their prize from the mission from escaping, Sting drew his head back. "White Dragon's Roar!" He unleashed his Dragon Roar towards the girl's retreating form. The girl lost her balance and fell to the floor, the Dragon Roar passing over her and destroying the door instead.

Hearing footsteps begin to approach her, the girl hurried to her feet, stumbling in her haste as she passed the threshold. Cold air greeted her face, though she found it strangely soothing as she ran away from Saber Tooth. The further she got from the guild, the closer she got to town. Unable to hear the mages of Saber Tooth, she stopped in what must have been the town plaza.

 _Where am I?_ she thought, crying as she wildly examined her new surroundings. Not once had she ever set foot outside the temple, though she had seen the town that rested near the mountain's base from above. But here...there were buildings cast in a material she couldn't identify, colored bricks that covered the plaza that she stood in, lamps that hung from metal poles!

"There she is!" A mage of Saber Tooth shouted, snapping the girl out of her stupor. She forced herself to keep running, though the foreignness of the town itself frightened her.

Nearly out of breath, she knew that she couldn't keep running. But why weren't the people of the town doing something? Why were they standing there, watching the mages of Saber Tooth chase her?

She strained her voice, trying to call out to someone, anyone. "...he..." Her first attempt came out as a weak croak, barely audible. As she approached a bridge where a dark-skinned youth rested his elbows on the railing, she could hear her pursuers catch up to her. This was her only chance to draw his attention.

"...HELP!"


	12. Convergent Destinies

**X791, January 26, 7:20 PM**

Rashid and Anubis jumped out of the carriage that brought them to town. Though the Anubian Jackal's magic could have brought them sooner, Rashid chose not to use that power—yet. The Treasure Hunter needed Anubis fully able to ensure their escape once they secured the girl.

 _If_ they secured the girl. As much as Rashid hated to admit it, Saber Tooth had the upper hand. _They_ had tens of wizards at their command and Rashid was just a Treasure Hunter with a dog. He might as well try to steal the Eternal Flame from the Giants of Sun Village. At least there was a _slight_ chance that the Giants might not see him.

Anubis nudged Rashid's hand with his muzzle, as though he sensed his master's irresolution. The Treasure Hunter patted his canine partner's head gratefully. He made a vow to keep that girl away from Saber Tooth—and he intended to keep it, even though the girl chose to leave with them.

 _She barely knew what was going on_ , Rashid reminded himself as he approached what must have been Saber Tooth's headquarters—it wasn't hard to miss the guild's flag and the enormous saber-toothed tiger on top of the building. _They took advantage of that._

Rashid already planned their escape—but he didn't fully prepare for what could happen when he went against Saber Tooth. Of course they would show him no mercy, especially those three wizards from the temple site. The Treasure Hunter knew how he would end the rescue, but without a definite scheme, he was doomed.

"Alright, buddy," Rashid decided, stopping at a bridge. "Let's take inventory of our Treasure Hunter tools." Anubis barked in agreement as the dark-skinned teen opened his side pouch. "Matches, Crystal Bombs, smoke bombs..." The Treasure Hunter held up a small pair of binoculars before he replaced it inside. He didn't have many items that could put him on even ground with Saber Tooth. The two types of bombs he had could give him some leverage, but as much as he hated to say it: he was ill-prepared.

Then again...there was never a Treasure Hunt where Rashid was ever _truly_ prepared. The dark-skinned teen held several smoke bombs in one hand while the other held a Crystal Bomb. "Maybe if I create a distraction with these," Rashid murmured as he rested his elbows on the railing of the bridge, "we might be able to sneak in and get her, Anubis."

The Anubian Jackal yapped happily, his tail striking the bridge in a steady rhythm. Rashid could see the plan already: he would use a Crystal Bomb to attract the wizards' attentions outside, then he would pelt them and the inside of the guild with smoke bombs. There was a chance that a wizard or two could dispel the smoke, but Rashid would have enough time with Anubis to sneak in as a shadow and get out with the girl.

Anubis barked madly, forcing Rashid to look down at his partner. "What's wrong, Anu?"

"HELP!"

The Treasure Hunter turned in the direction of the voice, eyes widening when he saw the very girl he was plotting to rescue. "The girl...from the ice?" he wondered out loud.

The white-haired girl ran towards him, fearful eyes replaced by relieved ones. "Please help me!" The girl ran behind Rashid for cover; the dark-skinned teen was ready to ask what the problem was when it presented itself in the form of six men.

"Who are you?" Rashid asked sharply, though he had a sneaking suspicion as to who they were already.

"We're from Saber Tooth, punk," one of the men—probably the leader—sneered, confirming Rashid's thoughts. "If you plan on joining us like every other kid in town, handing the girl over would be a great start."

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Rashid questioned, smiling coldly at the wizards. "Six men chasing after one girl? Is the female population that low here?"

"That's not an ordinary girl behind you, runt," the wizard growled, face burning red with rage. "There are greater powers in this world that your weak mind can't understand, and that girl will lead us to it! She's the human form of Tiamat!"

The girl—'Tiamat', as they dubbed her—shook her head profusely. "What are you talking about?" she cried.

"Get her!" Another wizard yelled.

"I don't think so!" As the wizards of Saber Tooth charged towards them, Rashid threw a few smoke bombs at them followed shortly by a Crystal Bomb. Smoke engulfed the wizards; the Crystal Bomb went off seconds later with the wizards caught in the explosion.

Taking advantage of their momentary disorientation, Rashid grabbed 'Tiamat's' hand. It took him everything he had not to retract from her frigid palm. "Let's go!"

"What—?" But Rashid was already off, taking the girl with him while Anubis ran alongside them. "Anubis!"

The obsidian dog barked before transforming into a shadow, which slipped underneath the two as they ran before Rashid and 'Tiamat' fell into the shade. Anubis' shadow raced away from the wizards, who were beginning to recover themselves from the bomb attack.

"The brat can use Shadow Magic?" One of the wizards muttered.

"Not the kid—the mutt," another corrected, dusting himself off. "Didn't even sense magic from that runt."

"We can't go back to Master like this," said yet another member of the group. "He'd kick us out for losing to a kid without magic!"

The apparent leader of the group chuckled as he knelt down, pressing his palms to the brick road. "Don't worry, guys. I might not be a Shadow Dragon Slayer like Rogue, but my magic will catch those guys before they know it!" Various shadows spread from his hands and raced off, controlled by the caster to capture the trio.

* * *

Anubis' shadow sped across the town, scaring the few people who were still outside in the cold. As it turned the corner, Anubis' shadow collided with an elongated shadow of a hand, which managed to drag the dog and the two humans out. "Shadow Magic?!" Rashid exclaimed, too shocked by their forced removal to care about the citizens' screams when they seemingly came out of nowhere.

The Anubian Jackal growled at the foreign shadows. "We have to get out of their shadow mage's range!" The Treasure Hunter looked back at 'Tiamat', hoping she hadn't been scared from Anubis' Shadow Travel. But 'Tiamat's' attention was on Anubis, who turned into a shadow and bit the shadow hand. The shadow hand recoiled, retreating from the Anubian Jackal who reemerged from the darkness. "We have to keep moving, miss!"

'Tiamat' jumped in surprise, as though she had lost track of reality. She nodded, allowing Rashid to take her through the streets with Anubis leading the way. Rashid couldn't hear their pursuers, so he assumed that they hadn't found or caught up to them yet. "Anu—"

Something dark sped across the brick road and latched itself onto Anubis. The obsidian dog yelped as he tripped on the bridge in shock. "Anubis?" Rashid momentarily let go of 'Tiamat's' hand and examined the object that made his partner fall. It looked like an ordinary dark metal shackle, but the way it encircled where the dog's leg met the paw made him suspicious. "Can you still get us out of here?" he asked.

Anubis whined as he rubbed the shackled against his muzzle, as though he could remove it. "A magic-cancelling cuff!" Rashid balled his right hand into a fist as he glared at the place where the cuff came from. "Those cowards are going too far!"

"..." 'Tiamat' closed her eyes momentarily. "They are coming closer," she murmured.

"Huh?" The Treasure Hunter turned to look at her. He heard something from her, but her voice was so soft that he couldn't hear her completely. "Mi—?"

"There they are!" The wizards who pursued them came from opposite ends of the bridge they were on, cutting off any chance of escape.

"There's no way out!" 'Tiamat' cried. Rashid had to agree with her there: with the bridge blocked on both ends and Anubis unable to use his magic, there was no other way to flee.

Except...the Treasure Hunter glanced over the railing, taking note of how high the bridge was over the town below. There was a low chance that Rashid or Anubis would land unscathed—the dark-skinned teen doubted that even the wizards would attempt such a stunt. But if he jumped with the right angle, they might be able to land on top of a market tent. From there, they could take the road below that _conveniently_ led out of town.

Once the wizards charged towards them, Rashid knew there was no time to lose. Scooping the girl into his arms—which made her gasp in surprise—the Treasure Hunter and the Anubian Jackal jumped onto the railing before leaping off, with Rashid making a quick prayer for a soft landing.

In his haste, the Treasure Hunter had missed the tent completely. Rashid swore mentally as they descended far too rapidly for his liking. At this rate, Rashid wouldn't get out of this without his legs paying the price.

Without warning, the blue eyes on the dragon head of the Bracelet of Tiamat glowed before brilliant blue light shone from it. A wind blew around the trio, slowing their descent to cushion their landing. The wizards on the bridge gaped at the spectacle below. Even Rashid stared at the bracelet in wonder while the light receded into the jeweled eyes.

But there was no time to figure out how the bracelet had activated. As soon as Rashid and Anubis touched the ground, they sped off. The Treasure Hunter's strides seemed to cover more distance than usual—he felt like he was flying!

However, the townspeople—instead of seeing a boy, a girl, and a dog—watched in awe as a magnificent white and blue serpentine dragon flew over the road that allowed people to come and go as they wished.

* * *

 _That night was the start of everything,_ a dark-skinned hand wrote in a journal. _The mystery of the girl in the ice, the Dragon Queen Tiamat's ascent... and my return to the home I left behind. Little did I know how much the Bracelet of Tiamat changed my future!_


	13. Introductions

'Tiamat' and Rashid's pursuers stared at the serpentine dragon that flew over the road below and left the city, vanishing into the distant horizon. They didn't know what had happened: one second, the boy, his dog, and 'Tiamat' had jumped to their deaths; the next, a dragon had taken their place.

"...So there was some truth to the Dragon Queen," one of the pursuers said weakly. "And here I thought Sting and Rufus just made it up."

"Master won't be happy that we let them escape," another added nervously.

The leader of the group, the Shadow Magic user, narrowed his eyes, hands clenched. "No," he snarled, his head spinning towards the other members of his guild and group. "Master will be hacked off if we try to return _without_ the girl."

"Y-you mean—!"

The leader nodded darkly as he brandished a finger in the direction where the dragon flew. "We're not going back until we have the girl with us—got it?!"

"Y-yes, sir!" The rest of the Saber Tooth mages yelled in unison.

At the top of the building that overlooked the bridge, a brown-haired young man who resembled a ninja appeared. He was sent by the master of Saber Tooth to watch the group from the shadows and make sure they fulfilled their task. The ninja heard every word the wizards said, including their confession to having let the girl escape.

Even if they pledged not to return until they had the girl, the ninja doubted Jiemma would forgive them so easily.

* * *

 **Saber Tooth**

While the rest of the guild waited for the group that went off in pursuit of 'Tiamat', Rufus took the time to examine his colleague turned ice statue. The Memory-Make wizard rested a hand against what was the chest, shivering once he made contact with the frigid surface. He sensed no magic from the frozen mage—in fact, there was nothing to signal that he was alive. Feeling something moist on his palm, Rufus pulled his hand back to discover traces of water on it. "Incredible..." Rufus murmured, examining what was once his guild mate with a horrified fascination.

"Rufus."

The Memory-Make wizard stepped away from the ice statue once Jiemma made his voice known to the guild. Glancing around the guild to meet the eyes of his colleagues, Rufus steeled himself to face his master and give the diagnosis on the wizard. "...He is dead," Rufus announced, drawing hushed whispers from Saber Tooth. "Whatever spell the girl used killed him."

Rogue turned to look at Sting, who met his astonished expression with a triumphant smirk. The Light Dragon Slayer's expression had an ' _I told you so_ ' hint to it that made the Shadow Dragon Slayer sick to his gut. One of their own was dead—did that mean nothing to him?

Jiemma's eyes narrowed at the ice statue that was his subordinate. It was one thing to suffer defeat—but the aged master of Saber Tooth viewed it an insult that one of his subordinates died at the hands of a young girl. "Dobengal," Jiemma boomed.

At once, the brown-haired ninja appeared before him. Dobengal bowed to Jiemma, not daring to look into the aged man's angered eyes yet. "Yes, sir?"

"The ones who went after the girl," Jiemma said. "Where are they?"

Dobengal rose to full height, tentatively meeting the guild master's gaze while showing not a hint of fear. "They left the town, sir."

"And why is that?"

"Their initial attempt to capture the girl was thwarted by an Anubian Jackal that had magic...and a boy with no internal magic."

 _The Treasure Hunter_ , Rogue thought immediately.

"They seem to believe that once they return with the girl, you will overlook their inefficacy," the ninja finished.

"Do they?" The master of Saber Tooth fumed, making his anger known through magic radiating from his body. Needless to say, Jiemma was displeased with the information Dobengal gave him. Not only did one wizard die by the hand of that girl, several more of his mages lost to a _non-magic_ _user_.

That was an embarrassment that could never be lived down.

Jiemma let out a powerful roar before he thrust his palm forward. Sensing the murderous intent behind the magic that formed in the master's hand, Dobengal warped out of the way. Rufus leaped away from the ice statue that was promptly decimated by Jiemma's Blast Magic.

Fragments of ice that once made up a wizard littered the floor. The mages of Saber Tooth were visibly perturbed by the actions of their master, but Jiemma paid no mind. "Do as you wish when you find the girl, but first bring those failures to me," the aged man growled. "They'll pay for ruining the name of Saber Tooth."

* * *

Rashid and Anubis stopped running to take a look at how much distance they made between themselves and the wizards of Saber Tooth. Much to the Treasure Hunter's surprise, the town was no longer in sight. "Whew!" Rashid exhaled in surprise as he set 'Tiamat' on her feet. Had they really covered that much ground? "I can't believe we lost them, Anubis!"

The Anubian Jackal yapped happily in response. 'Tiamat' stared at Anubis, her hand covering part of her mouth while her eyes widened. She felt as though she had seen the dog before, though she struggled to place a name to him. Anubis' black fur, his tall pointed ears and long snout, and his ability to travel through shadows were all the characteristics of—"A Hound of Ankhseram," she murmured in awe.

"Huh?" Rashid looked up when he heard 'Tiamat' speak softly. "Did you say something, miss?"

'Tiamat' met Rashid's eyes: they didn't carry the malice that the other wizards had. He didn't seem to carry any aura of evil, either. "Your companion...he is a Hound of Ankhseram, is he not?"

"A Hound of Ankh—oh!" Rashid was confused when she used the old name of the Anubian Jackal until he remembered that she originally 'lived' four centuries ago. The old name would have been widely used then. "He _is_ a Hound of Ankhseram, but now he's called an Anubian Jackal."

"An Anubian Jackal?" The girl didn't know how to comprehend this information. The Hounds of Ankhseram were sacred to the God of Life and Death, tasked with emerging from shadows to guide dying souls to the afterlife. How could the name change so easily?

Anubis barked without warning, causing 'Tiamat' and Rashid to jolt in alarm. The obsidian dog rubbed his shackled paw against his muzzle as he whined pleadingly. "Oh! Sorry, buddy!" Rashid dug through his pouch until he found a skeleton key. Holding up Anubis' paw until he found a keyhole on the cuff, the Treasure Hunter inserted the key and wiggled it in to find purchase.

"What an unusual cuff," 'Tiamat' said, examining the shackle on the dog's paw. "I have never seen a material like it."

"It's called Magic Sealing Stone," Rashid informed while he continued to move the key around. "I think it might have been crafted four hundred years ago."

"Four hundred years...? What do you mean?"

Rashid felt like hitting himself for forgetting about her lack of knowledge of the present—or, to be precise, _his_ present. _Her_ present had been four hundred years ago, when most of what Rashid was used to probably didn't exist. The Treasure Hunter stopped messing with the shackle, drawing an indignant bark from Anubis. The young man looked up at 'Tiamat', whose face bore a confused expression. "Miss...what is the last thing you can remember?"

'Tiamat' held her head as she delved into her existing memories. They were disorganized after four centuries of imprisonment, but the images that stood out the most in her mind were—"The Sanctuary...a Dragon...there was ice and then...nothing," she confessed. "I don't know what happened after I was put to sleep."

 _This feels like Sleeping Beauty_ , Rashid thought, recalling the fairy tale of the girl who slept for a hundred years. Unlike the bedtime story, the world had changed far too much in four centuries than it would have in one. "Miss—"

Impatient, Anubis bit Rashid's hand, drawing a pained yell from the Treasure Hunter. The Anubian Jackal held up his paw, giving his master a nonplussed look. "All right, already! I'll take it off!" Rashid grumbled as he replaced the key into the lock and fiddled with it.

The eyes of the bracelet on the Treasure Hunter's wrist caught the moonlight, causing the jewels to glitter. 'Tiamat' felt as though she saw that bracelet before, but she couldn't quite remember how. _The Bracelet of Tiamat_ , a small voice in her mind told her. "...Who are you?" she asked.

"Oh! That's right, we never introduced ourselves!" The shackle clicked open, freeing Anubis' paw. The Anubian Jackal yapped happily while Rashid stood up. "My name's Rashid," he said before resting a hand on his canine friend. "This is my partner, Anubis." The obsidian dog barked once to her. "And those wizards earlier called you...Tiamat?"

'Tiamat' closed her eyes, frowning at the name. "...My name is not Tiamat," she murmured.

Anubis tilted his head in wonder while Rashid held his chin, a frown on his own face. "Then can you remember what your name is?"

 _"…one day…be free…cia..."_

The memory that floated to the surface of her mind brought another to light. "...The name that I was given," the girl finally began, opening her eyes while her lips turned up in a small smile, "is Glacia."


	14. Sylph Labyrinth

"Glacia, huh?" Rashid repeated her name to himself. Just the way she pronounced her own name—she said it as glah-see-a—rolled off the tongue pleasantly. It was better than Tiamat, which the wizards called her.

"I was told that my name means 'ice'," she explained.

"I thought it meant 'glacier'," Rashid admitted. Glacia wore white and blue, which only seemed to underline her affiliation with the icy element. The only part of her appearance that didn't exactly match the cold nature of ice were her eyes. Despite the blue shade that made Rashid think of a glacier, her eyes carried warmth with a hint of fear. "At least I was close," the Treasure Hunter added cajolingly, drawing a smile from Glacia.

Anubis barked sharply, turning his head in the opposite direction of the town they left. "Oh?" Glacia's smile faded, replaced by a confused expression. "What is it?"

"He says that we should keep moving," Rashid translated, turning in the direction of where Saber Tooth was. "Anubis said the shadows of the wizards from earlier are coming after us."

Glacia covered her mouth with a hand, surprised that Rashid could understand the Hound of Ankhseram—or, as he called him, the Anubian Jackal. The breed was difficult to tame and yet... "How do you understand Anubis?" she asked.

Anubis barked once before tilting his head. Rashid could only hold his forehead. That was a fair question...unfortunately, the Treasure Hunter didn't have a good answer for it. "I can't really explain it," Rashid confessed, grabbing his hair in his fingers. "We've been together for as long as I could remember. I never thought twice about how I know what Anubis says."

* * *

Sting sniffed at the air to track the movements of two groups: the Treasure Hunter, the dog and 'Tiamat'; and the wizards who lost the girl to the Treasure Hunter. The scents were getting farther away by the second, meaning the two groups were on the move. "We gotta get to Tiamat before those guys," he declared. "There's no way I'm letting those losers take my glory!"

"That's the spirit, Sting-kun!" Lector cheered.

"Fro thinks so, too!"

"You heard what Master said," Rogue reminded. "Bring the others back to the guild and then you can go after the girl."

Behind them, Rufus lifted his hat by the brim. Since he was part of the group that brought 'Tiamat' in, the Memory-Make wizard felt obliged to be part of the group to drag the unsuccessful mages back to Saber Tooth. "If I remember correctly, the Archaeological Society said the Treasure Hunter is part of Sylph Labyrinth," he noted. "It just so happens that the guild's base is two days away on foot."

"Two days?" Sting whirled around to face Rufus with an outraged expression. "Two days is practically enough time for the Treasure Hunter to get away with the Dragon Queen! Damn it, we should have asked Master to send Dobengal with us! He'd have gotten us there in no time!"

"You forget, Sting," the Memory-Make wizard said, "that despite his mastery of Teleportation Magic, Dobengal has no obligation to assist us whatsoever."

"Not to mention that he's a watchdog for Master," Rogue added. Aside from the Lady, Dobengal was the only other mage that Jiemma _seemed_ to trust. On more than one occasion, when Jiemma suspected there was a wizard in his guild who was beginning to show weakness, he sent the ninja to watch the mage from the darkness. "Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if Master already sent him ahead of us."

* * *

 _Rubble. Corpses. Smoke._

 _A blood red sky. Broken glass. Pieces of an ornate fountain._

 _The prosperous city that had been his home was now a bleak ruin._

 _Devastation had happened so quickly, he didn't know if the lively city had been a dream replaced by its miserable reality._

 _A dark-skinned teen with blond hair poked his head out the window of one of the few places where shelter was guaranteed._ _How much longer did he have to live like this? To check the skies constantly, wondering when the nightmare would end?_

* * *

 **X791, January 28, 8:30 AM**

Rashid woke up when the carriage hit a bump in the road, causing the occupants inside to rise just an inch off the floor before falling back on it. The Treasure Hunter's head collided with the floor instead of a bag of cotton that he used as a pillow, forcing him to sit up and rub the sore spot.

"Are you all right, Rashid?" The Treasure Hunter looked up at Glacia, who sat on the other side of the carriage with Anubis. The canine walked over and joined Rashid, licking his cheek consolingly.

"I'm fine," Rashid assured, resting a hand on Anubis' head.

One of the men seated at the front of the carriage poked his head through the curtain separating the driver from the passengers. "We're about to arrive. Get ready to pay up when we get there."

Rashid looked around the interior of the carriage. This wagon belonged to merchants: the inside wasn't meant to accommodate stragglers in need of a ride. But Anubis sensed that the wizards were getting closer, which fueled the need to bribe the merchants to get them to town.

"The design of the carriage seems to have improved," Glacia noted, resting against a crate that contained who-knew-what. "There used to be nothing to cover the wagon itself."

"Have you ridden in one before, Glacia?" Rashid asked.

"Never," she admitted. "I've only seen them from the mountain where the Sanctuary was."

The carriage came to a stop; one of the merchants stepped through the curtain. "You owe us 30,000 Jewels for passage, kid," he informed with a stern look towards Rashid.

The Treasure Hunter opened a small pocket located behind the main pocket of his side pouch. He pulled out a wad of Jewels, counting out the amount demanded until he had enough. Once he payed the merchant, Rashid grabbed Glacia's hand and jumped out of the carriage with Anubis in tow.

"So those pieces of paper are your currency?" Glacia asked as the merchants drove away.

"Yeah." Rashid fished one Jewel bill out for Glacia to examine. "They're called Jewels. What did you use for money?"

"The priest of the sanctuary used to collect coins from the people who came to pray," she explained, brushing a finger over the man printed on the bill. "I'm afraid I can't remember what they were called."

"That's all right." Thanks to the silver and gold pieces he had in his treasure trove, Rashid knew that the Jewel system had used coins before—Glacia had probably used an older set of Jewels.

Anubis began to growl, causing the humans to direct their attention to him. "What's wrong, buddy?" Rashid asked, kneeling down and rubbing the sides of the Anubian Jackal's head.

The dog barked: whatever he said made Rashid narrow his eyes as he returned to his feet and looked around. "What is it?" Glacia wondered worriedly.

After scanning the area, Rashid leaned in close and muttered, "...We're being watched."

Glacia covered her mouth, eyebrows furrowed with fear. "Do you know if the wizards from two nights ago are here?"

The Treasure Hunter's eyes darted everywhere: there weren't many people out yet, and none of them looked like the mages from Saber Tooth. " _Those_ wizards aren't here...yet," he added. "There's just one person...but Anubis says he smells like he's from Saber Tooth."

"Saber Tooth..." she repeated to herself. "Is that what those wizards call themselves?"

"Yup," Rashid affirmed just as Anubis yapped at the humans again. The Treasure Hunter nodded to his partner before turning to Glacia. "Anubis said he's going to take us to a safe place. You might want to hold on."

"Hold on to what?" At that moment, the black dog melted into a shadow before slipping under Glacia and Rashid's feet. "Oh!" The white-haired girl cried out in surprise as she fell into the shadow, which raced off once the two were no longer visible.

Eventually, the shadow stopped and the three emerged in front of a large building bearing an insignia that Rashid was familiar with. Glacia's eyes narrowed, unsure of what to make of the foreign symbol. "This place is...?"

Rashid placed a hand on one of the doors, facing Glacia with a wide smile. "Welcome to Sylph Labyrinth," he said as he pushed the door open, allowing her to go in with Anubis.

Glacia stopped after just a few steps from the threshold, overwhelmed by everything inside. The same insignia emblazoned on the building's exterior decorated a banner that hung on the wall. And the people wore unusual clothing like Rashid, though earlier he said his clothes were normal. Some of them even carried unusual weapons: while she recognized a sword on the back of one man and an oddly shaped war hammer on another, she didn't know what to make of the strange metal weapon carried by a young man upstairs with hair that was caught between light blue and gray. "...So this is a guild," she murmured in awe.

The man with the war hammer noticed the group by the door. "It's Rashid and dun Anubis!" he exclaimed, drawing the attention of his companion with the sword.

"Nice to see you, Rala!" the teen greeted while Anubis yapped.

The blade wielder's eyes bugged out in surprise at seeing the trio. "You were super right, Drake!" he yelled up to the second floor.

"Of course I was," the light bluish gray-haired man—Drake, Glacia assumed—said with disinterest while he peered through a shaft on his weapon, which was aimed at the window. "When has my Type 74 Long-Range Rifle scope ever been wrong?"

"What the—? You knew I was in town and you didn't come and greet me?!" Rashid cried as if outraged.

"Well, we figured we'd let you to take your sweet time with your lady," Drake answered, his eyes still trained on his scope.

"She's not my girlfriend!" the dark-skinned teen screamed up to Drake while the other Treasure Hunters snickered.

"Sure she's super not," the blade wielder said, clearly not buying it. "So what is she then? New Treasure Hunter?"

"Dun dun!"

"Oh?" Glacia expressed her confusion towards the term used by the blade wielder. "I don't understand what you mean by that."

While the older Treasure Hunters near Rashid and Glacia gaped at her, the younger Treasure Hunter explained, "A Treasure Hunter is someone who goes out to look for rare and valuable items. Most of the places where we find treasure are dangerous, but that's what everyone here chose to do."

"...So you are explorers," Glacia said, to which Anubis tilted his head. "That is what the priest called those who came to the temple for safe passage."

"Well—"

"Super right!" Rala and the blade wielder flanked Glacia on either side, standing in a spotlight that someone decided to point towards them. "That's all we are, explorers who are super misunderstood!"

"Dun dun!" Rala agreed solemnly.

A sweat drop appeared on Rashid and Anubis in response to their guild mates' sudden desire for drama. Rashid nodded to Anubis, who trotted to Glacia's side. Rashid, on the other hand, ascended the stairs to join Drake at the window. The sniper gave no sign other than a nod to show that he acknowledged his fellow Treasure Hunter's presence. "You don't want to go down and meet Glacia?" Rashid asked.

"Is that her name?" Drake merely asked, never taking his eyes off his scope.

"Are you trying to hit a target?"

"..."

"Did you find a squirrel?"

"Eh."

"A rabbit?"

"Go bigger than that."

"You're peeping on some girl taking a bath again?"

Drake finally emerged from his rifle's scope and engaged in a brief stare down with the younger Treasure Hunter. "That was one time and unintentional!"

"How did you accidentally aim your scope at her window, then!"

"Take a look since you don't believe me!"

Rashid stared into the eyepiece, ready to call Drake's bluff when a different sight made Rashid look back at Drake. The sniper met the dark-skinned teen's baffled expression before nodding for him to take another glance.

On top of a building that had to be at least half a mile away stood a young man in dark clothes that resembled what a ninja would wear. His attention was focused on the eastern part of the town, but every now and then, he would look in Rashid's direction. It was almost as if he knew the Treasure Hunters were watching him. Rashid already had a bad feeling about the man, and he didn't even know who he was.

"That guy showed up on another building close to where you and your lady came to town," Drake said, confirming Rashid's suspicions. "As soon as Anubis transported you, the guy followed after. He's been watching the guild ever since you guys came in, but he always looks around for something."

"Or someone." Rashid rose to full height. "I think Saber Tooth knows we're here."


	15. The Escape

**Sylph Labyrinth**

"Saber Tooth?" Drake repeated, glancing repeatedly between Rashid and the window. "What does a wizard guild want with us? You didn't take a treasure from them, did you?"

"Not exactly..."

"I thought you went to the temple site for the treasure, not a wizard guild!" In all honesty, Drake wouldn't have been surprised if Rashid _had_ to take the treasure from Saber Tooth. It wasn't too long ago that Drake, along with Rala and Hiroshi, fought a rival Treasure Hunter guild for treasure.

"I did go to the temple!" Rashid defended, his voice carrying down to Rala and Hiroshi as well as Anubis and Glacia. "But Saber Tooth was there for the job!"

"So you stole the treasure they picked out?"

"In a way..." Rashid glanced down at Glacia, making Drake look her way for the first time.

"What does your lady have to do with this?" Drake asked slowly, not liking where this was going.

"She was in the basement, trapped in ice," the dark-skinned Treasure Hunter explained. "I got her out, but Saber Tooth took her away, so I...took her back."

The sniper stared blankly at Rashid before looking down to Rala and Hiroshi. The trio exchanged looks and nodded before they screamed in unison, " _YOU KIDNAPPED HER?!_ "

Their combined voices startled Glacia and knocked Rashid to the floor, but Hiroshi continued, "There's a super difference between a Treasure and a life, Rashid!"

"You're dun doomed!" Rala moaned in agony. The stocky Treasure Hunter wheeled towards Hiroshi, eyes wide and sweating bullets. "There's no super hope for him now!"

"He's a dun goner!" Hiroshi agreed. Rashid sweated in dumbfounded awe at how easily Hiroshi and Rala mixed up each other's signature words.

"...Um..." Glacia felt uncomfortable speaking given the tension between the four Treasure Hunters. Anubis rubbed his paw against her hand, as though urging her to voice her mind. "...Rashid didn't abduct me," she finally spoke, drawing the Treasure Hunters' eyes to her. The white-haired girl's uneasiness grew under their scrutiny, but she found the strength to continue, "I ran away from the wizards of Saber Tooth...Rashid was the one who helped me escape from them."

Hiroshi, Drake, and Rala stared at her, then at Rashid. An awkward silence replaced the heated tension as the three Treasure Hunters looked at each other again and nodded in agreement. _"THANK GOODNESS!"_ the trio cried, tears of relief streaming out of their eyes.

Anubis bit down on the sleeve of Glacia's dress and lightly tugged on it. Somehow she knew he was asking her to come with him, which she did. The two walked up the stairs, the Anubian Jackal racing towards the window once his paws touched the second floor.

"What's up, Anubis?" Drake asked as the black dog stood on his hind legs and pressed his front paws to the window pane.

Anubis yapped, which Rashid translated as, "Open the window."

The older Treasure Hunter looked at the dark-skinned boy incredulously. "Are you kidding?!" Drake jabbed a finger at the window. "Tracking you three was shifty enough—who knows what that guy will do if I open the window?!"

The Anubian Jackal barked in response. "He wants to smell the air and see if there's anyone else from Saber Tooth here," Rashid explained. "If there are, they'll stop at nothing to take Glacia!"

Drake grit his teeth in frustration as he gave in. The older Treasure Hunter opened the window a crack before returning to his rifle, eyes narrowed and finger on the trigger. "Pull something funny—I dare you," he grumbled. The ninja was still there, staring straight as if he knew what Drake was doing. He looked to the left, and Drake could barely see his eyes show surprise and dark amusement. "Wait—something's got his attention."

Anubis stuck his muzzle out the window and sniffed the air. The Anubian Jackal bared his teeth and snarled, hackles raised on end. "Oh, that's great," Rashid groaned, rubbing his forehead. "Drake...I've got company."

* * *

Sting jumped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped, taking a deep whiff of the air. He smirked, baring his fangs in satisfaction. "They're here," he relished as Lector flew to his side. "The brat, his mutt, and Tiamat—I can practically taste them."

"You seem to have forgotten, Sting," Rufus said as he stepped out with more grace than Sting had executed, "that our own take priority over the girl."

Sting snorted derisively as Rogue and Frosch exited the carriage just as it rode off. "To hell with those losers. They had one shot—what makes them think they can get it right this time?"

"Take another whiff," the Shadow Dragon Slayer advised in a low voice, "and you'll change your mind."

Despite how absurd his partner sounded, Sting smelled the air again. Each of them had individual scents, but the smell of the guild itself still lingered on every mage of Saber Tooth. Using the guild's scent as his guide, Sting deduced that including the three of them—though Lector and Frosch made five—there were ten Saber Tooth mages.

"Wait— _ten?_ " Sting's eyebrows rose into his hairline at the extra scent. There were only six mages who chased after Tiamat two days ago, so there should have been nine here...unless... " _He's_ here?"

"I sense only the six who gave chase," Rufus noted, his hand holding the brim of his hat. "However, I do remember a piece of gossip that suggested that Dobengal was once part of an infiltration unit within the Magic Council."

"Is that even legal for them?" Lector asked incredulously.

"Fro doesn't know."

Sting's head whirled in the direction of the ninja's scent, eyes narrowed in irritation. "He's been here before any of us and he didn't even bother to help?!"

Rogue shook his head, bowed with the knowledge that Jiemma had little faith in them to get the job done. "Since he's here on Master's orders, he won't help at all. His only job is to watch...and wait."

* * *

 **Sylph Labyrinth**

"I spy, with my little eye~" Drake sang as he readjusted his rifle scope now that the visual changed, "two blonds, a blackhead, and two cats. Those your stalkers?"

"They're the ones from the temple," Rashid answered. As soon as he mentioned the cats, the darker skinned Treasure Hunter knew they weren't their pursuers. But Anubis smelled the six who chased them in town as well, so they couldn't be far.

Hiroshi elbowed Drake to peer through the scope, much to the sniper's annoyance. "You super sure you didn't steal the treasure from the mages at their guild?"

"Dun!" Rala shoved Hiroshi aside to take a glimpse the wizards.

"Does it look like I wanted to be skinned alive?!"

"Mind if I get my rifle back?" Drake barked as he forced his fellow Treasure Hunters away from his weapon's scope.

The Anubian Jackal grew bored of the men's bickering and joined Glacia, who stood at another window. She pressed her hand to the glass that divided the guild from the outside, marveling at the view.

"...I wanted to leave so badly..." Anubis cocked his head questioningly.

"Glacia? Glacia."

The white-haired girl snapped out of her reverie and turned to Rashid. "Is something the matter?"

"We need to leave," the dark-skinned teen said, jerking his head towards the window. "The wizards probably know you're here." The Treasure Hunter held out his hand, fighting the urge to retract his hand once her own entwined with his. Though he was starting to get used to it, Glacia's hands were still frigid. Rashid made a mental note to buy gloves after this.

"But..." Ever since she woke up in the guild called Saber Tooth, running seemed to be the only thing she was capable of. The memory of the previous owner of the Bracelet of Tiamat telling her to run only reaffirmed that. That didn't stop her from wondering— "...what do the wizards want... with me?" she asked as Rashid led her over to the stairs.

The Treasure Hunter stumbled in surprise, causing Glacia to lose her footing as well. Anubis, who had trailed behind the humans, grabbed one of Glacia's sleeves with his teeth and yanked her back to balance her. Rashid was forced to grab the second floor's railing to stop his fall, turning to look at Glacia once he regained his footing. "Y-you really don't know?"

"Rashid!" Hiroshi was downstairs now, holding up a flyer. "Before you leave, you gotta super report if you got the treasure or not!"

"You can't dun forget that!" Rala chimed in.

"I'm being hunted down by a mage guild! Can't you just write the report for me?" Rashid hollered down to them.

"Super sure, just show us the treasure!"

The dark-skinned teen rolled up the sleeve of his right arm and held it up, revealing the Bracelet of Tiamat. The Treasure Hunters below clamored in delight as the golden head caught the light with a blinding brilliance.

The sniper whistled loudly to get Rashid's attention to him. "Hate to rain on your parade, but you got a bunch of angry wizards after you, remember?"

"Right." Rashid proceeded to descend the stairs, only for Drake to grab the back of his blazer's collar. "What the—Drake!"

"Not out the front door, buddy," Drake said as he spun his younger guild mate towards himself. "I don't pay attention to mage guilds all that well, but two of those wizards are Dragon Slayers. From what I bothered to learn, those kind of mages have good senses, which means they pretty much know you and your lady are here just by tracking your scent. The mages you met in the temple escaped my scope, but I'm willing to bet they're hiding around the front entrance to ambush you."

"Anubis?" The black dog left Glacia's side and scampered over to the slightly open window, oblivious to the disgruntled glare Drake aimed at Rashid for doubting his instinct. After one sniff, the Anubian Jackal growled, to which Rashid hung his head in defeat. "Ah, come on," he groaned while Drake puffed his chest out and crossed his arms proudly. "I can't believe you were right for once."

"For once?! Who was it that showed you the Dragon King Collection so you could go out, get the booty, and find _some_ lead on the Bracelet of Tiamat all because you wouldn't quit yammering about the bracelet since the day you joined?!"

Anubis barked at the Treasure Hunters, bringing them back to the matter at hand. "...so we can't go out the front the door," Rashid noted. "There's no back door, so we're pretty much sitting ducks."

This earned him a flick to his forehead. "You idiot! Two years of Treasure Hunting and I can't believe you don't remember the number one thing a good trap must _never_ have!" Drake took Rashid by the shoulders and spun him again, clapping a hand to the younger Treasure Hunter's shoulder so he could face the window. "The way out."

"You want us to escape through the window?" Glacia posed her first direct question to Drake.

"Exactly, my lady." Drake rubbed his hands together, a mad gleam in his eyes. The older Treasure Hunter began to dig though his own side pouch. Glacia wondered if everyone in this guild had a pouch at their side at all times. "Hold on, Rashid. Depending on what I have, I can set up either a tightrope or a zipline for you guys."

Anubis yapped three times, making Rashid reply, "Scratch the line, Drake. That's gonna attract too much attention."

"Come on, man! Can you at least take this?" Drake flung what resembled a cross between brass knuckles and cat claws at Rashid, who caught it with ease.

"A grapple gun?"

"Got it in Acalypha," Drake said while Rashid inspected it. "It's small enough to fit in your bag. I thought it would come in handy if you needed to scale a cliff or something."

"I'll keep that in mind, Drake."

* * *

Sting poked his head out from where he hid. Only the headquarters of Sylph Labyrinth met his gaze. The White Dragon Slayer thought that if the failures were that hellbent on getting the girl, their first response would be to follow the Treasure Hunter and trap him inside his own guild. So far, the group was nowhere in sight.

"It's quite peculiar," Rufus noted as he observed the Treasure Hunter guild, "but I can't detect the magical signatures of the six who we must capture."

"But their scents are in the air," Rogue pointed out. "They can't be far."

"Lector and Frosch aren't back yet," Sting said. The Dragon Slayers sent their Exceeds off to search from above.

Rufus turned his gaze to the Treasure Hunter guild once more. As no one in that guild used magic, the Treasure Hunter from before would also have no magical signature. "If we wish to find the group," he suggested, "then it would be best to track the Treasure Hunter and the girl."

"Sting-kun!" The mages of Saber Tooth looked up, where Lector and Frosch soared above the roof of the guild. "We found the girl!"

* * *

As a covered wagon passed by the Treasure Hunter guild, Rashid jumped out the second story window with Glacia in his arms and Anubis at his heels. They bounced off the canvas and landed safely on the road. "Wouldn't it be safer to travel as a shadow?" Glacia asked as Rashid set her down.

"One of the wizards from the night before used Shadow Magic," Rashid said while Anubis sniffed around. "If Anubis used his magic to help us, that wizard would find us."

At the same time that Anubis barked madly, a voice that Rashid heard at the temple yelled from above, "Sting-kun! We found the girl!" The trio looked up to find the Exceed flying over the guild.

"Run!" Rashid grabbed Glacia's hand and raced off, tailed by Anubis who quickly overtook his partner and led the way. Behind them, they could hear the Saber Tooth wizards from the temple giving chase.

As Glacia ran to keep up with Rashid, a sharp stinging sensation pulsed from her ankles with each step. She didn't understand what was causing the pain.

"There they are!" The trio skidded to a halt as the wizards from two nights ago ran out of the intersecting street before them. Rashid bit back a curse: no matter where he looked, they were completely surrounded. The Treasure Hunter looked to the sky for help when the solution came to him.

"Anubis!"

As soon as the black dog melted into a shadow and crawled into one of Rashid's pockets, the wizards on both sides closed in on them. Rashid slipped his arm around Glacia's waist and drew her closer to himself. He disregarded the surprised "Oh!" that was elicited in response as he pulled out the grapple gun Drake gave him and fired it at a building above them. The claws clamped down on the edge of the roof, holding fast when Rashid yanked the line that attached the claws to the tool.

The line reeled back into the grapple gun and pulled the duo into the air. The wizards collided with each other while Rashid and Glacia ascended until they hovered a few feet above the building the claws latched onto. The Treasure Hunter swung his arm out to dislodge the claws, which promptly retracted back into the grapple gun.

Down below, Sting easily tackled one of the soon-to-be former Saber Tooth wizards to the ground. The wizard flailed to release himself, but failed to throw off one of the top five. "What the hell, Sting?! I thought we were on the same side!"

The White Dragon Slayer slammed the wizard's head to the ground before lifting it up. "New orders, man. Master's not very happy with you guys losing to a Treasure Hunter."

"Wait." Rogue held up his own unconscious target while another lay defeated before Rufus. There were six wizards that they needed to bring back to Jiemma, but... "There are only three here..." Rogue began.

Rashid and Glacia chanced a glance at the scene below as they landed softly on the roof. The Treasure Hunter felt his heartbeat pick up in panic when he counted six wizards in total. _Six wizards chased after us the night before,_ Rashid thought. Only three of the wizards on the road were part of the group that Rashid rescued Glacia from. "Where are the others?"

A growl sounded from the pocket that Anubis inhabited as a shadow. "Right!" Rashid reached for Glacia's hand and pulled her along as they ran from roof to roof. The Treasure Hunter was thankful that the buildings were situated so closely together.

Glacia pursed her lips, trying not to cry out and alarm Rashid. But the pain in her ankles only grew worse as the Treasure Hunter picked up speed. "..."

Rashid's eyebrows furrowed when he heard Glacia make uneven steps like she was injured somewhere. When he turned his head to look at her, he had to pull her forward as several Explosive Lacrima came flying out of nowhere. One after another, they exploded near Glacia and Rashid as they fled.

"Ah!" One of the Lacrima detonated near Glacia's right foot, burning part of her dress and taking out her slipper and sock in the process. She lost her footing, but Rashid caught her without ever breaking his run.

There was no roof at the end of the row, but Rashid knew that after that building, there was a bridge that led out of town. If he landed without any difficulties, then Anubis could travel as a shadow and take them out of the wizards' range.

"Anubis!" The black dog emerged from Rashid's pocket as the Treasure Hunter leapt from the last roof and descended. But as soon as his left foot touched the stone bridge, the stone he landed on exploded. Rashid lost his footing and, as he fell forward, his hold on Glacia as well. The Anubian Jackal whimpered as his partner tried to pull himself up while Glacia, now a few meters away, returned to her feet.

"Rashid!" A hand grabbed her long hair before Glacia could run back to the Treasure Hunter. Anubis ran forward and bit down on the arm that held the girl's hair, but Glacia's captor threw off the canine with ease and raised a leg to kick him. He yelped as he landed by Rashid, who brought himself to his knees.

Glacia's captor was joined by two of his comrades, whooping and clapping their comrade's back. "We got her!"

Glaring at the wizard, Rashid shakily returned to his feet, most of his weight carried on his right side. The Treasure Hunter lifted his right hand, the jewelled eyes of the Bracelet of Tiamat shining with blue light. "You are going to let her go _now._ " Ignoring the sounds of approaching feet behind him, Rashid snapped his fingers loudly.

The wizards before him were surrounded in light before being lifted high above the ground. The one who held Glacia's hair forcibly lost his grip as he floated helplessly above his ticket back to the guild. The wizards behind him—Sting, Rogue, and Rufus—had stopped in awe of the display of the bracelet's power.

Rashid took advantage of the wizard's inability to act to limp over to Glacia. "Come on!" He made to run back, only to stop at the sight of the wizards from the temple. With his ankle incapacitated, there was no way he could outrun them.

"Rogue! Quick, get her!" Rashid caught sight of the river below and with a bark from Anubis, he grabbed Glacia's hand and jumped over the edge of the bridge.

"No!" Rogue melted into a shadow and reformed as the duo and the dog jumped to their freedom. His hand reached out but his fingers only caught the blue ribbon the girl wore.

They should have fallen into the water with a splash. Instead, they descended slowly until their feet tapped the surface. _This is just like last time,_ Rashid thought, staring at the bracelet. The eyes on the dragon's head were still glowing.

Anubis barked loudly as he ran ahead of the humans on the water. Whatever power was at work, it extended to the Anubian Jackal as well. Following the dog's lead, Rashid and Glacia ran after Anubis and away from the wizards who could only watch helplessly.


End file.
